KARACHI, 24 September — President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said yesterday that a new law would be enacted soon to improve the quality of higher education, especially in the field of science and technology.
“A board will be set up under a new act to oversee the performance of every university,” he said while speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of the National University of Science and Technology’s (NUST) campus here.
President Musharraf said the members of the board and the faculties would be selected purely on merit. The government has evolved a strategy for higher education and for science and technology in order to bring education in the country on the par with developed countries.
“This is the only way to enable Pakistan to leap forward in economic development and other sectors,” he said and maintained that the institutions of higher learning play an important role in shaping up the destiny of a nation. He reiterated his government’s commitment to accord the highest possible priority to education, particularly science and technology. “We are making all-out efforts to increase the rate of literacy and improve education in madrasas.
“My government has launched many development projects to generate more money, increase GDP and revive the economy,” said President Musharraf adding that in the long run the focus will shift to education, enabling Pakistan to march on the road to development and progress.
He said foreign funds worth $800 million have been promised to Pakistan for the coming three years for the promotion of education, provided the country keeps moving in a right direction.
The University Grants Commission has been merged with the National Commission for Higher Education, headed by Federal Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, he said, adding that this will make considerable improvements in the overall plans to promote higher education.
Appreciating the progress made by NUST, President Musharraf said it could truly be described as a success story.
The government would extend every possible support to NUST enabling it to become a true world-class center of excellence and play its role in developing women resources to meet the challenges of the 21st century, he said.
