The Higher Education Commission has been set up by the Government of Pakistan to
facilitate the development of indigenous universities to be world-class centers of
education, research and development. Through facilitating this process, the HEC intends to
play its part in spearheading the building of a knowledge-based economy in Pakistan.
Following past decades of underinvestment, the renewed realization of the Government of
Pakistan of the importance of the higher education sector towards fuelling economic
growth led to the establishment of the Higher Education Commission in 2002. Founded by
Presidential Ordinance No.LIII in September 2002, the Commission has been entrusted
with a broad mandate to evaluate, improve and promote the higher education and research
sector in Pakistan. The reform agenda has been supported through the granting of a large
array of powers to the Commission to fulfill its mandate, and record increases in financial
resources by the Government to support this process. With the visionary leadership of
Pakistan leading scientist and advocate of reform, Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman at the
helm of the organization, the HEC has initiated a process of reform of an unprecedented
scale and pace.
Since its establishment, the Higher Education Commission has undertaken a systematic
process of implementation of the five-year agenda for reform outlined in the HEC Medium
Term Development Framework (MTDF), in which Access, Quality and Relevance have
been identified as the key challenges faced by the sector. To address these challenges a
comprehensive strategy has been defined that identifies the core strategic aims for reform
as (i) Faculty Development, (ii) Improving Access, (iii) Excellence in Learning and
Research, and (iv) Relevance to National Priorities. These strategic aims are supported by
well-integrated cross-cutting themes for developing Leadership, Governance and
Management, enhancing Quality Assessment and Accreditation and Physical and
Technological Infrastructure Development.