Reflections on HE

Reflections on Higher Education -- published Feb 28, 2105, in Express Tribune.

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Reflections on Dr. Randle’s Remarks on Higher Education

Dr. Asad Zaman, Vice Chancellor, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics

A hugely surprising message was delivered by Dr. Rodger Randle to an audience of Vice Chancellors from across Pakistan in his videoconference lecture on “Modern Practices and Trends in American Higher Education (HE)” on Friday 6^th February. He praised the dedication, commitment, and educational skills he had seen among leaders of the HE sector in Pakistan. He emphasized that this was not a casual statement, but based on several visits to Pakistan, and on his extensive experience and comparisons with HE sectors in the USA and Brazil. His description of the American experience was not meant to be taken as a model; rather he cautioned that we should be very careful about what models we choose to emulate. He stated that our HE personnel have the talent, capacity, creativity and flexibility to become global leaders; in particular, he praised the dynamism and vision of Dr. Mukhtar, current head of HEC. His only hesitation was based on the question of whether we would have the self-confidence to make radical changes necessary today. He encouraged us to innovate, and to “not be fearful of experimentation” – in effect, attempting to create the self-confidence required for a global leadership role. Based on my own experience with higher education in Pakistan, I offer some suggestions for the types of changes which are essential for progress.

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