ISLAMABAD, MAR 11 /DNA/ – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) convened a meeting of the Committee for Identification of Thematic Areas for Future Scholarships under the project “Overseas Scholarships for PhD in Selected Fields (Phase-III)” at HEC Secretariat, Islamabad.
The committee was constituted on the recommendation of the Central Development Working Party (Pre-CDWP) to review the status of proposed scholarships and identify priority thematic areas for the allocation of remaining unawarded slots.
The initiative aims to ensure that overseas PhD scholarships are strategically awarded in high-impact research areas and top-ranked international universities, thereby strengthening Pakistan’s academic and research capacity.
The meeting was chaired virtually by Dr. Najeebullah Marwat, Member (Science and Technology), Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives.
The committee comprises 22 renowned subject experts from leading universities across Pakistan along with senior officials of HEC, including Ms. Aayesha Ikram, Director General (Scholarships & Global Engagement), Ms. Saima Naurin, Project Director, and Mr. Tauqeer Riaz, Project Manager.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed findings of a nationwide survey conducted by the Project Management Unit involving 47 universities, which highlighted significant demand for PhD faculty across key disciplines including Engineering and Technology, Biological and Medical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Agriculture, Social Sciences, Business Education, and Arts & Humanities.
Emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science, Biotechnology, Renewable Energy, Climate Change, and Digital Technologies were also identified as priority research domains.
The committee deliberated on aligning scholarship allocations with national development priorities, global emerging trends, gender balance, and future PhD faculty requirements.
Recommendations regarding thematic areas for the remaining scholarships will be consolidated and submitted to the CDWP/ECNEC for consideration as part of the PC-I revision of the project.
