ISLAMABAD: The Faculty Development Programme (FDP) of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan continues to strengthen the academic and research environment in the country, as the scholarship initiative has so far upgraded the professional capacity of over 300 university faculty members.
As many as 110 scholars have successfully completed their PhD degrees and are now actively contributing to national research, innovation, and overall uplift of the higher education sector of Pakistan.
HEC launched FDP in 2017 to offer scholarships to university faculty in a wide range of disciplines.
The objective of the programme is to raise the teaching and research capabilities of universities faculty in line with international standards. HEC has so far awarded around 300 scholarships under this initiative, including 57 in batch-I, 84 in batch-II, 137 in batch-III, and 17 in batch-IV.
The faculty members who hold a Master’s degree with a minimum of 18 years of education are eligible to benefit from this initiative. Under this programme, scholars are required to initiate their doctoral research in Pakistan and at an appropriate stage of their studies proceed abroad for a research placement of six to twelve months.
During this period, scholars conduct advanced research under the supervision of internationally renowned faculty at universities ranked among the top 200 institutions in the QS World University Rankings.
Through FDP, HEC demonstrates its commitment to strengthen the professional and academic capacity of faculty members serving in public and private sector universities across the country.