By Asma Kundi
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal has said that access to higher education is one of the keys to growth and development.
He was addressing the International Summit on Workforce Development organized under the auspices of $19 million USAID funded by Higher Education System Strengthening Activity) Project. (HESSA) on Wednesday.
He added that the incumbent government is committed to providing access to education to underprivileged segments of our society.
The HESSA project is providing technical assistance to 16 Pakistani universities distributed across all provinces in improving their institutional and technical capacities in delivering market-relevant education and research, with an overarching goal of enhancing the employability potential of graduating students.
Pakistan’s higher education system
The summit is a timely initiative within the context of Pakistan’s development priorities as US support for Pakistan’s Higher Education System has a long history which ranges from primary and basic education to establishing Centers of Excellence to strengthening overall higher education systems, said the Minister, while addressing the participants of the summit.
The event was attended by US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome, Senator of Utah State, Dr. Keith Grover, Chairman of the HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairperson, HEC, and others.
