HEC Announce Statement for foreign degree programs in Pakistan

Hand holding megaphone - Important Announcement. Vector stock illustration.

Students are informed that Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has been empowered by virtue of its Ordinance No. LIII of 2002, Section 10-1(d) “to prescribe conditions under which institutions, including those that are not part of the State educational system, may be opened and operated” across the country.

The foreign university/institution either directly through its campus or in franchise mode, that intends to offer foreign degrees in Pakistan, has to seek explicit approval of the HEC in accordance with HEC’s approved Foreign Collaboration Policy (Transnational Education Policy) for operations of foreign universities in Pakistan. All the local institutions and programs that are accredited and recognized by HEC, Pakistan are reflected on the HEC website: https://www.hec.gov.pk/site/FCI

Any local institution or foreign program that is not listed on the aforementioned web link shall be treated as fake, illegal, unlawful, and unrecognized and the degrees awarded under such arrangement shall not be recognized by HEC.

Further, the permission granted to local institutions is restricted to a specified place and particular degree program (s). Any misleading advertisement by the institutions whereby ambiguity and misleading information is reflected shall be avoided. A separate advertisement shall be made for each location and its approved program (s). If the permission granted for a specific place and program is misused for other locations by any local institution, the permission granted/NOC will be withdrawn. Any institution that fails to comply with HEC’s directions and regulations/rules/policies especially advertisement of foreign degree programs without NEC approval shall be liable to stern disciplinary proceedings including placement of the name of such institution in the list of fake, illegal, unlawful, and unrecognized institutions in Pakistan. Moreover, it is advised that all stakeholders shall consult HEC prior to taking any initiative regarding Dual, Double, and Joint Degree Programs in collaboration with any foreign universities/HEIs. Otherwise, such degrees (local as well as foreign) will not be recognized/ equated by HEC.