The Higher Education Commission (HEC) today unveiled a comprehensive national mentoring programme aimed at developing leadership and professional skills for faculty and academic leaders across all public and private universities in Pakistan. The new initiative, an expansion of a successful women-only scheme, seeks to address systemic challenges within the country”s higher education institutions.
Spearheaded by the National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE), the Mentoring Programme for Universities (MPU) builds upon the framework of the HEC’s Women Empowerment and Mentoring Programme, which was introduced in November 2024 for 18 women”s universities.
Designed to be gender-inclusive, the MPU”s core objective is to foster a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing. It aims to strengthen leadership capacity and support the professional development of staff in Pakistan”s higher education landscape.
The programme was officially launched at a ceremony on Tuesday at the HEC Secretariat, attended by HEC Chairman Engr. Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar and senior management. Vice-Chancellors from universities across the country participated in the event virtually.
Speaking at the launch, Chairman Akhtar described the mentoring of academic leadership and faculty as a crucial element of institutional development. He stated that the programme will leverage the extensive expertise of senior academicians, asserting that the country has a significant pool of capable figures to serve as mentors.
Dr. Akhtar commended NAHE for the success of the preceding women-focused scheme and for broadening its scope. “This was very much needed, and it was high time to further extend the programme,” he remarked.
NAHE Managing Director, Dr. Noor Amna Malik, provided background on the initiative, noting that the original women”s programme produced 890 mentors and mentees. “The initiative garnered huge success and repute, paving the way for its expansion to all the universities across the country,” she affirmed, describing it as an internalised support system where people assist one another.
Dr. Malik explained that the expanded programme aims to help academic staff overcome interpersonal and psychological barriers. It is intended to guide participants in tackling institutional challenges, developing leadership skills, and enhancing their capacity to contribute to their personal and organisational growth.
She also noted that the programme”s structure allows individual universities to incorporate bespoke modules to address their specific institutional challenges.
Highlighting the success of the pilot, Dr. Uzma Quraishi, Vice-Chancellor of Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), reported that the initial programme produced 240 mentors in three cohorts at her university alone. She praised the scheme for establishing the need for professional mentorship and stated that it has the potential to transform the entire academic ecosystem by empowering educators and learners.