17/03/2026
Building on its successful mentoring efforts, HEC has launched the Mentoring Program for Universities (MPU) to train leadership and faculty across public and private HEIs nationwide.
Through the National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE), this gender-inclusive program expands HEC’s Women Empowerment and Mentoring Program (launched Nov 2024) to all universities, fostering mentorship, collaboration, and professional growth across the academic landscape.
At the launch, Chairman HEC Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar highlighted mentoring as a key driver of institutional development and emphasized leveraging senior academicians’ expertise to strengthen leadership capacity. Dr. Noor Amna Malik, MD NAHE, shared that the previous program produced 890 mentors and mentees, creating an ecosystem of support and learning. “The initiative proved to be a support system within our own ecosystem, as it has been institutionalised and internalised where people assist and uplift one another,” she emphasised.
The MPU is designed to remove interpersonal and psychological barriers, enhance leadership skills, and empower faculty to contribute to both personal and institutional growth. Universities can also tailor modules to address their specific needs, ensuring a practical, impactful approach to academic transformation.
As Dr. Uzma Quraishi, VC LCWU, noted, the program has already proven transformative, with trained mentors cascading knowledge and fostering professional growth, setting the stage for a more empowered and capable higher education community across Pakistan. Islamabad Pictures Islamabad Pictures photography by Abdul Rasheed Mahar
