ISLAMABAD: As many as 64 university teachers were awarded the Best University Teacher Award 2016 in recognition of their outstanding performance during a ceremony held at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Secretariat on Wednesday. Each winner was awarded a certificate and a cash prize worth Rs 100,000. Minister for Federal Education & Professional Training Balighur Rehman was chief guest on the occasion, while HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, HEC Executive Director Dr Arshad Ali, HEC Operation & Planning member Dr Ghulam Raza Bhatti, HEC Academics Director General Raza Chohan and a large number of faculty members were also present. Felicitating the teachers on their exceptional performance, Balighur Rehman said human development was key to the overall progress of a country, adding that teachers play the most pivotal role in ensuring human development. He said the government had taken the higher education funding to Rs 107 billion in the ongoing fiscal year. He appreciated HEC for the promotion of higher education and research culture in the country. “HEC has lived up to the government’s expectations,” he remarked. The minister urged the teachers to adopt new technologies and promote teamwork. “Teach your students how to collaborate and work as a team,” he stressed. He observed Pakistan had multiple inspirational stories to be presented as role model. He informed the audience that the government had prepared curriculum for grade 1 to grade 5, focusing on character building of students. He informed the gathering that teaching of translation of the holy Quran was also made mandatory from grade 6 to grade 12 in Islamabad. The practice will be extended to provinces too, he added. In his welcome address, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed underlined that teachers and imams played a key role in social development. He urged the teachers to train the country’s youth in line with its social norms and values. “We have to invest for the bright future of our youth and coming generations,” he emphasised. He stressed the need for promoting nationalism while setting aside non-issues. Shedding light on the achievements of HEC, he said Pakistan had only 59 universities before the inception of HEC, adding that the number had now reached 188. He said HEC encourages research based on solution to prevailing problems of society. The number of research publications had now reached 1,200 annually. The chairman revealed that HEC was taking tangible steps to ensure equitable access to higher education in the country. He maintained that HEC had set up sub-campuses of universities in far flung and less-developed areas in order to impart education at doorstep. He added that HEC had established a university campus near the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir, where 84 students were enrolled so far. He added that a sub-campus of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University had also been established in Noshki near Pak-Iran border and over 300 students were studying there, while FATA University had also been established. More campuses will be established in Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, interior Sindh, and FATA agencies, he promised. The Best University Teacher Award Scheme was launched in 2003 with an aim to recognise the relentless efforts of faculty members of universities. The concept of awards was instituted for the promotion of education and research by universities faculty and to acknowledge their scholarly endeavours aimed at bringing socio-economic impacts in the society at large. The criteria was transparent and efficient. Universities and degree awarding institutions are asked to nominate teachers eligible for the Best University Teacher Award every year. A total of 160 nominations were received from 80 public and private sector universities. The Best University Teacher Awards have been made part of HEC’s recurring programmes making it a regular activity. Published in Daily Times, February 22nd 2018.