Moderator:
Dr. Asma Shahid, Associate Professor, Lahore College for Women University
Panelists:
Dr. Shaheryar Naveed, Assistant Professor & Director, Center for Learning Excellence, Fatima Jinnah Women University
Dr. Minhas Majeed, Assistant Professor Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar
Wed, January 24, 2024
03:00 PM (Pakistan time)
Zoom link: https://utah-health.zoom.us/j/
Zoom ID: 947 0561 7684
Islamabad, October 23,
2023: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through
its Higher Education System Strengthening Activity, organized a strategic
planning dialogue for Vice Chancellors of 16 Pakistani universities. Leaders
from the public sector universities gathered to share the strategic plans that
each university is developing. During the dialogue, university leaders
reflected on best practices in academia, research, and governance to kickstart
their institution-specific strategic planning.
The Higher Education
System Strengthening Activity (HESSA), implemented by the University of Utah,
brings together an extensive international network of experienced college and
university planners to support its partner universities in strengthening their
institutional and technical capacities for strategic planning.
The opening session of
this 2-day event was chaired by Ms. Maura O’Brien, Deputy Mission Director
USAID/Pakistan, alongside Dr. Michael Barber, University of Utah, and Dr. Aslam
Chaudhry, Chief of Party HESSA.
During the event, Vice
Chancellors began developing their university strategic plans. Over the next
few weeks, Vice Chancellors will activate planning teams on their campuses to
complete strategic planning.
Speaking at the event,
USAID’s Deputy Mission Director Maura O’Brien said, “What makes the Higher
Education System Strengthening Activity uniquely powerful is that it brings
together both Pakistani and American universities to learn from each other,
exchange ideas, and think strategically to solve shared challenges.”
Dr. Aslam Chaudhry,
Chief of Party and Research Professor at University of Utah, appreciated
USAID’s partnership with the Pakistani government on higher education. Speaking
at the event, Dr. Aslam said, “This activity will advance the organizational
performance of Pakistani universities based on integrated strategic planning.”
Dr. Michael Barber, Professor at University of Utah, said, “We are pleased to
implement the Higher Education System Strengthening Activity program on behalf
of USAID and will continue to work with Higher Education Commission to advance
the higher education sector and make its programs more demand-driven for better
graduate employability.”
For more information on
USAID/Pakistan’s support in the education sector, visit: usaid.gov/pakistan/education
In a decisive move towards
advancing the University's strategic direction, Prof. Dr. Zahoor ul Haq,
esteemed chairperson, presided over an essential meeting on October 5, 2023.
The gathering brought together all Deans, Heads of Departments (HoDs), and Heads
of Schools (HoS) to deliberate on the University's comprehensive Strategic
Plan.
During the meeting, attendees
engaged in constructive discussions regarding the strategic initiatives
essential for the University's growth and development. The participants
examined various aspects of the plan, including academic enhancements, research
priorities, faculty development, and infrastructural improvements.
Prof. Dr. Zahoor ul Haq
emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts and encouraged innovative
ideas that align with the University's mission and vision. The meeting
concluded on a positive note, with a shared commitment among the attendees to
implement the strategic initiatives effectively.
The University anticipates that
the outcomes of this strategic meeting will pave the way for transformative
changes, ensuring a brighter and more prosperous future for the institution and
its stakeholders.
Professor Dr. Zahoor ul Haq, the
Vice-Chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, recently hosted a
gathering of partner universities involved in USAID's Higher Education System
Strengthening Activity (HESSA) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting, attended by
distinguished figures including Professor Dr. Hassan Sher, Vice-Chancellor of
the University of Swat, and Professor Dr. Nasir Jamal Khattak, Vice-Chancellor
of Swabi Women University and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of
Peshawar, focused on evaluating the progress of the HESSA initiative.
During the meeting, Dr. Aslam Chaudhry, Chief
of Party-HESSA, led a delegation from USAID, engaging in discussions with
Vice-Chancellors and faculty members from universities that had participated in
various HESSA training programs. The deliberations centered on the
accomplishments of the program over the past two years, including international
study tours to the University of Utah, USA, benefiting Pakistani faculty
members from 16 partner universities. More than 400 university officials have
received valuable capacity-building support through the USAID-HESSA program,
contributing to the enhancement of the higher education ecosystem and the
production of skilled graduates.
Looking ahead, the participants were briefed on
the strategic and business planning process for universities. Each HESSA
partner university will establish a dedicated planning team, which will receive
training from international experts on developing and implementing strategic
plans. The meeting also involved discussions about the proposed plan for the
third year of project implementation, encompassing feedback on improvements to
the HESSA training programs' structure. The suggestions and recommendations
gathered will be integrated into the program framework, with input from the
academic leadership of all HESSA partner universities.
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