As Pakistani universities face many of the same issues as those of their UK counterparts, the British Council's Nishat Riaz says that institutional partnerships between the UK and Pakistan will help both countries achieve their goals.
During discussions with colleagues from the UK education sector, it becomes clear that Pakistan's universities are facing similar challenges to those faced in the UK - despite differences between the two countries and their institutions.
Differences between the UK's and Pakistan's higher education
What's different? Among many things, size, population, priorities and approach differ:
The UK makes up one percent of the world's population. Pakistan, on the other hand, is the sixth most populous country in the world.
Education is one of the highest priorities for the UK. According to the Times Higher Education World Rankings, UK universities occupy three of the top ten spots, seven of the top 50 and eleven of the top 100. Pakistan, however, is struggling to position education as a priority – despite improved results in recent years – with around 25 million children out of school and only seven percent having access to higher education.
UK higher education institutions are connected to industry and business, and play a critical role in transferring knowledge to these. Industry and academia in Pakistan are worlds apart, and don't even listen to each other.
The UK has adopted an entrepreneurial approach that doesn't preclude academic achievement. But Pakistan's university leaders find it challenging to balance these two aspirations.
The list goes on. Yet I see some crucial similarities.
Similarities
Both the UK and Pakistan have had to contend with major funding cuts over the last few years. The budget for Pakistan's higher education sector – following political pressure – has been reduced by over 60 percent in 2011 and 2012. It was around the same time that universities in England were facing cuts of 12 percent.
Both countries have higher education funding agencies – the four for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales respectively in the UK, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Pakistan. Higher education institutions are regulated by these agencies in each country through formal operating frameworks, which are followed by all approved and recognised universities. In the UK, this operating framework explains how higher education providers will be held to account and regulated. Similarly, for any university to operate and be eligible for government funding, the HEC in Pakistan sets out defined rules and regulations.
Universities are autonomous in both countries, with structures and systems that allow them to make their own decisions. Universities on both sides can appoint, recruit and promote staff at different levels and raise funding through programmes.
Finally, universities on both sides face challenges of keeping student enrolment and league table rankings high, and maintaining the balance between research and teaching.
These and many others factors pose a similar set of opportunities - as well as challenges - to university leaders and administrators for survival and expansion.
Opportunities for both countries: partnerships
Some of the similarities above will make it easier for universities in the two countries to understand each other and to form partnerships. Given that they also face similar challenges, it can make sense to tackle those together.
There is huge and growing interest from UK universities in working across both research and teaching areas with universities in Pakistan. For many, this is an opportunity to expand international research in specific discipline areas, while for others it is an opportunity for academic faculty to be involved in development work. Some UK universities who have strong links with Pakistani communities in their city see it as a way of strengthening their community work.
So far, more than 76 UK universities have formal partnerships and long-term agreements with Pakistani higher education institutions. 98 percent of all Pakistani vice-chancellors and rectors have received leadership training in the UK since 2010, which has allowed them to form relationships with the UK. New partnerships and collaborative programmes between universities in the UK and Pakistan are a direct outcome of the training programme every year. Last year alone, 14 new transnational education partnerships were agreed. A new set of partnership agreements is underway with the University of Leicester, which is celebrating a leap by 35 places in the ranking table, the highest among the top 200 institutions.
Whether differences increase or reduce, universities are developing international partnerships with an expectation of long-term benefits on both sides.
More on Pakistan's universities will be discussed at our global education dialogue on the future of higher education in South Asia on 28-29 November 2013.
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