The Higher Education Commission (HEC), through its flagship initiative, the World Bank-supported Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) project, has launched a capacity-building program aimed at enhancing the quality of education in decentralized higher education institutions, particularly Affiliated Colleges (ACs) and Affiliating Universities (AUs). This initiative focuses on establishing and strengthening Quality Enhancement Units to elevate teaching and learning standards in these institutions, which often face resource constraints and require consistent support.
Under this program, Quality Enhancement Cells in Affiliated Colleges (QECACs) have been integrated into the broader framework of Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs) within affiliating universities. These QECACs play a critical role in ensuring academic excellence across affiliated colleges by monitoring and improving key areas such as faculty performance, evaluation systems, and curriculum design.
Affiliating universities are tasked with the responsibility of maintaining the quality of programs offered in their affiliated colleges. To achieve this, Quality Enhancement Cells in Affiliated Colleges QECACs conduct periodic reviews of academic activities, compiling comprehensive self-assessment reports. These reports evaluate various aspects of the programs, including alignment with learning objectives, faculty availability, curriculum relevance, and the adequacy of resources.
As part of the initiative, 45 QECACs have been successfully established within the QECs of affiliating universities across Pakistan. The HEDP has provided both technical expertise and financial assistance to support these units. Furthermore, the existing QEC structures in universities, originally established by the HEC, have been revamped to align with the recently approved Quality Assurance Framework of HEC, ensuring a consistent and standardized approach to quality enhancement nationwide.
This collaborative effort underscores HEC’s commitment to improving the higher education sector by fostering a robust quality assurance mechanism that benefits students, faculty, and institutions alike.
