Islamabad - Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has said that teachers are role models for their students and are academic leaders who play a vital role in development of future generations.

“Unless our teacher and Imam perform their duty in a responsible manner, we should not expect our society to come out of social ills; be it intolerance, religious extremism, dishonesty or any other problem,” the chairman said this while speaking to the participants of 27th Master Trainers-Faculty Professional Development Programme organised by Learning Innovation Division HEC, that concluded at the Commission Secretariat yesterday.

Twenty-eight faculty members from 28 public and private sector universities across Pakistan attended the eight-week programme and were certified as master trainers who will conduct similar trainings at their parent institutions.

“Pakistan does not only need best professionals in different fields but also good human beings who show empathy towards fellow humans and work in a selfless manner, and that is only possible if our teachers and religious opinion leaders feel their responsibility and act accordingly,” Dr Mukhtar said.

Congratulating the participants on successful completion of training, he said that HEC is providing all possible opportunities to faculty members and researchers to enrich their knowledge and skills. “Whatever a teacher or a university needs for professional development as well as strengthening of institutions, HEC has been putting all available resources to fulfill their requirements. We are also thankful to the Government for continuously increasing the budget for higher education sector,” he said.

So far, 785 faculty members belonging to different higher education institutions have benefitted from master trainers-faculty professional development programme in 27 batches. The programme has been designed to equip teaching faculty with latest pedagogical and research skills required for effective teaching and research. It includes various academic modules with additional sessions on important social topics, with focus on enhancing and enriching teaching abilities of participants.