HEC Makes Education Accessible For Students Through Int'l Scholarships Schemes

Chairman of, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Thursday said that HEC has performed in recent years in offering various international scholarship schemes to make education accessible for students, particularly those from far-flung and less privileged areas

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Jan, 2023 ):Chairman of, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Thursday said that HEC has performed in recent years in offering various international scholarship schemes to make education accessible for students, particularly those from far-flung and less privileged areas.

During 2023, a total of 508 scholars are preceding foreign countries on scholarships under HEC's foreign scholarship schemes, from different levels of Higher education including 246 Ph.D., 116 MS/BS, 102 IRSIP (6 Months), and 44 Post of Doctorate, he said while talking to APP.

"A total number of 2,812 scholars are studying at foreign universities under various scholarship schemes including 1760 students enrolled in Ph.D., 857 in MS/BS,130 in IRSIP (6 Months) and 65 in Post Doctorate" he added.

"Our students are very talented and under the Erasmus Mundus scholarship program, which is very competitive, this year the highest number of students securing these scholarships are from Pakistan," Dr. Mukhtar lauded.

Amidst the challenge of keeping up with international education standards, he told APP that the HEC has a gigantic task ahead to secure more scholarships for Pakistani students enabling them to pursue higher studies at the best universities in the world.

We have maintained the most transparent and cautious approach for the selection of students, he remarked.

It is worth mentioning here most of the foreign scholarships are offered in seven disciplines including Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Biological and Medical Sciences, Business Education, Engineering and Technology, and Physical and Social Sciences.

Dr. Mukhtar further elaborated that on directives of the present government, the HEC has taken numerous steps to increase the number of foreign scholarships for Pakistani students.

These initiatives include the 75th National Top Talent Scholarship Program aimed at increasing the number of Pakistani scholars in the World's Top 20 Universities. The government of Hungary has also increased the number of scholarships for Pakistani students, he informed.

The Commission, Mukhtar said, HEC offers international scholarships through various scholarship projects and programs including Overseas Scholarships Phase-III, HRDI � UESTP Overseas Scholarships, US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor, HEC-USAID Fulbright Scholarship Program Phase-III, Post-Doc Fellowship Program Phase-III, and Academic and Research Linkages with different countries and agencies under Bilateral Agreements.

Scholarships are also being offered to the Nationals of OIC, Commonwealth, SIDS, and Hungary to Study at Different Pakistani Universities.

"We have allocated funds for need-based scholarships in the recurring budget for universities so no brilliant student who falls within the merit, has to discontinue studies due to financial constraints,". "Owing to our initiatives, Pakistan won the greatest number of Erasmus+ Scholarships with India remaining second." He remarked.

Dr. Mukhtar appreciated USAID for providing Master's scholarships to 700 female students to study in different disciplines in the top 30 partner institutions of Pakistan and "we are endeavoring to secure more slots." The USAID has been supporting scholarships for meritorious but financially disadvantaged students for the last 18 years to assist Pakistan Government in efforts to enhance students' enrolment, especially female students from less developed districts to study in engineering, business, social sciences, agriculture, and medicine disciplines.

"With the investment of $33.2 million, over 6000 need-based scholarships have been awarded making it one of the largest USAID-funded scholarship programs of Pakistan," the HEC Chairman said. "Under this program, 60% of scholarships have been awarded to female students".

"We are also endeavoring more scholarships for Pakistani students at the University of Oxford," Dr. Mukhtar said as he mentioned facilitating institution-to-institution collaboration in academic and research areas with currently 22 Pakistani students availing scholarships for higher studies at Oxford University.

Pakistan-UK Education Gateway can prove to be another potential way forward for students amidst some practical measures like sponsorship for the mobility of students and scholars, he concluded.