Improving Higher Education is a Major Challenge for the Provincial Government: Secretary HED

Peshawar

The Secretary of Higher Education Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Capt. (R) Kamran Afridi has stated that the provincial government is not only fully committed to addressing the financial and administrative challenges faced by the higher education sector, particularly public universities, but is also actively working on the development of short, medium, and long-term strategies in this regard.

He appreciated the swift and dedicated efforts of the Higher Education Task Force, formed under his leadership on the instructions of the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The task force, in consultation with experts from the higher education sector, has formulated practical and actionable recommendations, which will soon be submitted to the Chief Minister for final approval.

Capt. (R) Kamran Afridi expressed these views while chairing a special meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Higher Education held at Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar. The meeting was attended by prominent task force members including Vice Chancellor KMU Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq, Prof. Dr. Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Usman Ghani (Director IM Sciences, Peshawar), Prof. Dr. Youreed Ahsan (Registrar University of Peshawar), Prof. Dr. Jamil (HEC Islamabad), and Prof. Dr. Gul Muhammad (UET Peshawar).

Capt. (R) Kamran Afridi emphasized that universities are centers of knowledge and play a key role in the development and prosperity of societies. He highlighted that the core function of universities is to guide society in addressing various challenges through research and innovation. However, due to limited resources and lack of strategic priorities, the higher education sector has not been able to achieve the desired progress in research.

He assured that the current government is well aware of the pressing issues faced by universities and is taking all necessary practical steps to address them. He has accepted the role of Secretary Higher Education as a challenge, with the vision to bring the sector up to international standards. For this, he emphasized the importance of close collaboration with the academic and administrative leadership of universities.

The Secretary acknowledged the commendable progress made by the Provincial Task Force and expressed hope that the final report will be submitted to the Chief Minister by the end of this month. While praising the efforts of all universities in the province, he also acknowledged that some institutions are facing serious financial and administrative hurdles. The provincial government, he said, will provide every possible support to overcome these challenges and will ensure the implementation of the task force’s recommendations on a priority basis.

Discussing the evolving role of universities, he stressed the need to move beyond traditional academic models and focus on modern research-driven and innovative approaches aligned with societal and market needs. He also urged universities to explore public-private partnership models and promote research, innovation, and commercialization to tackle financial constraints.

Capt. (R) Kamran Afridi concluded by expressing his special thanks to all task force members for their tireless efforts in preparing the final draft and particularly appreciated the continuous support and hospitality extended by KMU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq throughout the process.