HYDERABAD, March 1: The chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Dr Attaur Rehman, has called for massive investment in human resources to ensure socio-economic development of the country.

Giving a presentation on "higher education, science, technology and economy" at a meeting with faculty members of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Sindh University, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences and Sindh Agriculture University in Jamshoro on Monday, he said investment in human resources alone could ensure socio-economic stability of the country.

He said the president and prime minister were interested in the promotion of higher education in the country. He said in furtherance of the objective, three areas had been focused which include faculty development, provision of infrastructure and linkages.

Dr Rehman expressed disappointment that not a single university of the country was listed in top 500 universities of the world. He said universities were not measured by enrolment but by production of human capital and their contribution to economy.

He expressed concern that Pakistan produced merely 200 PhD scholars per year as compared to India which produced 11,000 PhD scholars per year. Quoting a report of an international organization, the HEC chairman said globally India ranked number one in producing scientists in all fields while Pakistan ranked 94.

He said during a recent meeting with the president and prime minister, Rs134 billion were approved for an uplift of education in which Rs18 billion would be earmarked for enhancement of higher education.

Dr Rehman said it was also decided to raise 50 per cent allocation each year. About problems of faculty members, he informed that proposal was under consideration to provide maximum incentives to scientists and academics including three times increase in salaries in order to encourage them.

He urged the heads of universities to send proposals of development schemes under allocation of Rs2 billion. He said the HEC was striving hard for bringing revolution in the higher education as it was free from bureaucratic control.

Responding to questions, Dr Rehman informed that mega project of Rs1,000 million would be launched to provide scholarships to meritorious students for higher studies. He said no proposal for increase in fee structure of universities was under consideration by the HEC.

He said the higher education in the country was cheap as compared to other countries. He said the HEC had set a target of enhancing higher education rate from 2.6 to 10 per cent within few years.

He said efforts were being made for the expansion of existing universities and establishment of new universities. He stressed the need for setting up institutions of international standard as joint ventures of private and public sector.

Earlier, Dr Rehman performed the ground breaking ceremony of central library and the Centre of Online Information Technology. The vice-chancellor of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Prof (Dr) A.Q.K. Rajput, said that the university was highly indebted to the HEC chairman for granting special development fund for constructing central library and IT enclave.

He said the university had successfully gone through surveillance of audit required under ISO-9001:2000. He said universities in Jamshoro and Tando Jam were essentially residential campuses.

As such, it is difficult to conceive of their proper functioning without provision of adequate hostels, transportation arrangements for students and residential facilities for faculty and staff.