Regulation of Private HEIs in Pakistan

Regulation of Private HEIs in Pakistan

175 Private HEIs can be established under either a Federal or Provincial charter and come under the regulatory purview of the HEC. Applications for a charter to operate are normally directed to the government where the institution is located – the provincial education department in the case of a provincially-based institution or the HEC in the case of an institution located in the Federal territory. The criteria and requirements for establishment differ across jurisdictions, but are broadly based on guidelines set out in the HEC document Guidelines for the Establishment of a New University or an Institution of Higher Education. These criteria relate to a range of factors including faculty strength, the number of academic departments, educational infrastructure and the amount of land owned by an institution.

• 
  special incentive packages to facilitate expansion and development of private institutions; and
  
• 
  facilitate/encourage the private sector to donate to, and open new departments/centers in, public universities.
  

• 
  private institutions would pay no tax for 10 years, then tax would be assessed at 25 percent of existing tax. A more definite proposal is to be worked out with the appropriate authorities;
  
• 
  the government would provide land for the establishment of new Universities/DAIs on the condition that the infrastructure was established within a specified period of time. Ownership of the land and assets would revert to the government at the end of the period;
  
• 
  federal grants would be provided to set up departments in areas important to the socio-economic development of Pakistan;
  
• 
  matching grants would be provided for digital library access to select journals and international bandwidth for internet access;
  
• 
  matching grants would be provided for private HEIs hiring foreign faculty; and
  
• 
  private HEI researchers would be eligible for assistance under the HEC Research Grant Program.
  

188 In order to be eligible for the above incentives, the regulations require that a private HEI:

• 
  be not-for-profit. That is, none of the founders should be deriving any monetary benefit from the institution;
  
• 
  have at least 70 percent of the courses at the private HEIs must be taught by full-time faculty;
  
• 
  have a campus of its own that meets the basic needs of the student body and the programs offered – ensure survival of university;
  
• 
  have a proper governance structure and credible board of trustees;
  
• 
  follow established accounting procedure and have its accounts audited by an approved chartered accounting firm;
  
• 
  have an admission policy based purely on merit and on a need-blind basis with a transparent admission process and a system for meeting the financial needs of students requiring financial aid; and
  
• 
  meet the Cabinet criteria for the establishment of universities/DAIs (e.g., faculty, infrastructure, etc.)
  

189 The expressed government commitment toward private education, as reflected in the NEP, the ESR and the MTDF, is complemented by a policy framework that includes some provisions that are supportive of the private HE sector. These include the relatively liberal rules relating to the establishment of foreign institutions, HEC accreditation policy and the use of scholarships. The growth in the private HE sector in recent years, --and the quality and relevance of courses and programs delivered by a number of private HEIs-- provides a useful platform for expanding the role played of PPPs in Pakistan.