DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), in collaboration with CECOS University of IT & Emerging Sciences, Peshawar, recently launched a three-day Progress Review Meeting under the theme “Together for Quality Excellence: Leadership Engagement for Transforming QA Systems in Pakistan.”
The event brought together Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Directors, and Directors of Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs) from over 40 public and private sector universities across the country.
The opening ceremony began with welcome and opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Vice Chancellor of CECOS University, who emphasized the importance of fostering a robust quality culture and institutional collaboration to strengthen higher education standards.
Mr. Nasir Shah, Director General of Quality Assurance at HEC Islamabad, delivered key remarks highlighting HEC’s vision for continuous improvement and accountability through effective quality assurance mechanisms.
This was followed by an interactive session led by Mr. Muhammad Raza, Deputy Director of QA HEC Islamabad, which engaged participants in constructive discussions on quality frameworks, best practices, and future directions.
The ceremony was graced by Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq, Executive Director of HEC and Vice Chancellor of Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar, as Guest of Honor.
He highlighted the critical role of leadership in sustaining quality assurance systems. Dr. Muhammad Israr, Secretary Higher Education of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attended as Chief Guest and shared his perspectives on aligning provincial and national higher education quality objectives.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the HEC Quality Assurance Yearly Progress Review (YPR 2023–24) results, recognizing universities for their outstanding performance.
Among public sector universities, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, secured the highest score of 95.63, followed by Pak-Austria Fachhochschule–IAST, Haripur, with 90.83, the University of Technology, Nowshera, with 87.64, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, with 84.12, the University of Haripur with 83.29, and IMSciences, Peshawar, with 81.81.
In the private sector, CECOS University of IT & Emerging Sciences achieved 93.26, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology earned 90.94, and Iqra National University, Peshawar, scored 89.51.
The Progress Review Meeting aimed to foster collaboration, leadership engagement, and shared learning among higher education institutions, contributing to the continuous strengthening of quality assurance practices nationwide.
The event represents a significant step toward reinforcing Pakistan’s higher education quality framework through collective commitment, strategic dialogue, and ongoing improvement.
