HEC Launches Graduate Education Policy

HIGHER EDUCATION 

COMMISSION, PAKISTAN
GRADUATE EDUCATION POLICY
INTRODUCTION
Over a period of two decades, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) introduced
various policies to enhance the quality of graduate programs in Pakistan. More or less, these
policies were focused on program-level minimum criteria, such as qualification, entry test,
CGPA, CH, coursework, publication, dissertation, supervisory load and criteria, and faculty
requirements. Meanwhile, HEC also issued several supplementary notifications elaborating the
given criteria in pieces. Despite this, the worth of graduate education has always been a matter
of concern. Lastly, HEC issued its policy on PhD Program in 2021; however, it received little
support from the academia across the country due to disagreement with several aspects of the
policy. Many felt that the policy was too focused on coursework and not on research. Despite
extensive discussions at the institutional level, various VC forums, and technical experts'
committees, a consensus could not be developed. Learning through the experience, the
Chairman HEC decided to review the policy afresh through feedback from the entire academia.
As a result, the HEC introduced the revised Graduate Education Policy-2023 (GEP-2023).

The Higher Education Commission Pakistan on Wednesday unveiled new Graduate Education Policy 2023, effective and applicable from Fall 2023 semester onwards.

The new policy has been meticulously crafted to embody the core principles of university autonomy, quality assurance, and flexibility while also upholding academic freedom, originality, and relevance, HEC said in a press release.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

•  University Autonomy: Within the ambit of their Charter/Act and HEC’s policies 
•  Access: All qualified individuals with equal opportunity. 
• . Relevance: Local needs and national policies. 
•  Alignment: The outcomes defined in National Qualification Framework and Graduate
  Education Policy. 
• Contextualizing: Without compromising over the global standards. 
• Academic Freedom: Thoughts and conceiving ideas.
• Originality: Thoughts leading to innovation by adhering to academic ethics. 
•  Academic Flexibility: Conducting research activities without violating disciplinary
  guidelines. 
• Collaboration, networking, and partnerships: At the local, national, and international
  levels for the development and execution of graduate programs. 
• Quality: Promoting high standards of academic and research excellence and student
  success

One of the notable features of GEP-2023 is its liberal approach, which allows for intra-disciplinary admissions, enabling students to explore diverse academic fields within their chosen discipline. The policy recognizes the value of both local and foreign expertise by introducing external evaluations conducted by indigenous professors alongside foreign evaluators. This inclusive approach aims to ensure a comprehensive assessment of academic standards.

Furthermore, the policy demonstrates its flexibility by introducing relaxation to the CGPA requirements for admission and offering a more dynamic assessment of the time duration for degree completion. It also streamlines the process for determining faculty relevance, and the requirements for HEC’s NOC (No Objection Certificate) and approval to become a doctoral supervisor. The policy provides clear guidelines and suggests mechanisms to strengthen the implementation of these principles at the institutional level, ensuring consistency and transparency.

GEP-2023 recognizes the significance of a rigorous and comprehensive degree-obtaining process. It introduces detailed guidelines for conducting comprehensive examinations, writing doctoral dissertations, and interpreting similarity reports. These guidelines are designed to enhance academic standards, foster originality, and maintain the integrity and ethics of research and study within higher education institutions.