HEC has distributed a total of 3,199 awards under IRSIP, with the goal of improving the quality of doctoral research.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) held a ceremony today at the HEC Secretariat to award 165 Pakistani PhD scholars a six-month fellowship opportunity under the International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP). Pursuing PhD work in Pakistan is important for the individual, the academic institutions and the country as a whole.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, was the chief guest. HEC has distributed a total of 3,199 awards under IRSIP, with the goal of improving the quality of doctoral research, providing opportunities for scholars to train at advanced labs of prestigious institutes, and introducing Pakistani talent globally.
966 fellowships in Biological and Medical Sciences, 831 in Physical Sciences, 576 in Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, 471 in Social Sciences, 269 in Engineering and Technology, and 86 in Management Sciences have been awarded.
Chairman HEC stated during the ceremony, “This project was conceived during the early years of HEC’s establishment with the aim of giving dynamic research opportunities to students so they can make bright careers and serve the country.”
He urged the students to take advantage of this opportunity because it comes with a lot of investment at a time when the country is suffering from a severe dollar shortage. He asked them to remember Pakistan for its assistance.
Speaking on the occasion, Executive Director HEC shared a breakdown of the awards presented during this session. “The gender ratio of the awardees is very encouraging, with 47% of the awardees being female scholars and 53% being male.”
Vice Chancellor Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST) praised HEC’s fellowship opportunity division. “I was pleasantly surprised by how thorough and inclusive the scrutiny process was, and I am extremely pleased to see that HEC has chosen the best talent from Pakistan for this golden opportunity.”
“The purpose of these fellowships is to enhance PhD work in Pakistan,” said Prof. Aslam Baig, Director of the National Centre of Physics. I would like you to think of it as a loan and consider how you will repay it to your country.”
Awardees, their families, university faculty, and supervisors also attended the event.