Habib University recently hosted the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) Progress Review Meeting in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA-HEC), marking the first time the University convened an HEC forum of this national scale. The three-day meeting reflected Habib University’s growing engagement in shaping conversations around academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and higher education reform in Pakistan.
The meeting brought together senior leadership from the HEC, vice-chancellors, and directors of Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs) from nearly 50 public and private universities across Sindh and Balochistan. Serving as a key annual platform, the Progress Review Meeting underscored HEC’s continued focus on strengthening quality assurance mechanisms and aligning institutional practices with national standards.
The proceedings opened with a welcome session hosted by Habib University, where Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Shahid Shaikh introduced the University’s mission, vision, and values, alongside its academic and financial model. His remarks positioned Habib University’s educational philosophy within broader national debates on the purpose of higher education, institutional responsibility, and long-term academic sustainability.
Setting the tone for the discussions, Director General QAA-HEC, Mr. Nasir Shah, outlined the strategic direction of HEC’s quality assurance reforms. This was followed by an in-depth presentation by Mr. Muhammad Raza, Deputy Director QAA-HEC, on PSG-2023 (Pakistan Precepts, Standards, and Guidelines)—HEC’s revised quality assurance framework designed to promote structured implementation, accountability, and continuous improvement across degree-awarding institutions.
The Annual Meeting hosted by Habib University marked the sixth installment of HEC’s nationwide quality assurance initiative. Earlier sessions were held at universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Federal region, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Punjab, with the sixth and seventh editions focusing on universities from Sindh and Balochistan, further extending HEC’s outreach nationwide.
“The central theme of this seven-part quality assurance workshop series was that we are on this journey together,” said the Director General, QAA-HEC. “Over the course of three days, we examine multiple dimensions of PSG-2023 through structured workshops, with a focus on how the framework can be implemented in a more effective and productive manner.”
He emphasized that all quality assurance initiatives undertaken by HEC are ultimately student-centered.
“Our objective is to foster learning environments that equip students with professional competence and also transform them into responsible, engaged citizens of society and play an integral role in the industry,” he added.
Across the three days of the Progress Review Meeting at Habib, participants engaged in a series of focused workshops and learning sessions addressing key aspects of quality assurance. These sessions emphasized capacity building, institutional readiness prior to implementation, progress review, and regulatory alignment, while also enabling peer learning and the exchange of best practices among universities.
On the final day, representatives from participating institutions presented group reflections on their progress under PSG-2023. The presentations highlighted implementation strategies, challenges encountered, and short-, mid-, and long-term plans for strengthening internal quality systems in alignment with HEC’s requirements.
The meeting concluded with a closing ceremony and the distribution of certificates to participating representatives, reinforcing a shared national commitment to advancing academic standards and embedding quality assurance as a core institutional priority.
