The Higher Education Commission (HEC) today held a ceremony at the HEC Secretariat to award a six-month scholarship opportunity to 165 Pakistani Ph.D. scholars under the International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP). The President of HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, graced the occasion as the chief guest.
Starting with a focus on improving the quality of PhD research, providing an opportunity for scholars to train in advanced laboratories of renowned institutes and introducing Pakistani talent globally, HEC has so far distributed a total of 3,199 awards under IRSIP.
Of these scholarships, 966 have been awarded in the field of Biological and Medical Sciences, 831 in Natural Sciences, 576 in Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, 471 in Social Sciences, 269 in Engineering and Technology and 86 in Management Sciences.
Addressing the ceremony, the HEC President said that “This project was conceived in the early years of HEC’s establishment with the aim of giving dynamic research opportunities to students to make brilliant careers and serve the country.”
He urged the students to make the most of this opportunity as it is being given a lot of investment, at a time when the country is facing a serious shortage of dollars. He asked them to remember Pakistan for their convenience.
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Director of HEC shared the breakdown of this session’s awards. “The gender ratio of the laureates is very encouraging as 47% of laureates are female scholars, while 53% are male.”
The Vice-Chancellor of Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) appreciated the role of HEC scholarship department. “I was pleasantly surprised to see how thorough and comprehensive the screening process was and I am truly happy to see that HEC has selected Pakistan’s best talent for this golden opportunity.”
Director of the National Center for Physics, Prof. Aslam Baig, said, “The purpose of these fellowships is to enhance Ph.D. work in Pakistan, each of which costs a huge amount. I would ask you to consider it as a loan and think of ways to return it to your country.”
The event was also attended by the awardees, their families, university professors and supervisors.