Islamabad, July 10, 2023: The University of Utah organized a 3-day training workshop for department chairs of public universities on strategic planning, as part of the USAID’s Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA). Hosted by the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) Islamabad, the workshop was attended by 30 dept. chairs representing 16 partner universities of HESSA. These universities have partnered with USAID’s HESSA to strengthen their capacity of developing and delivering market-driven education and research to enhance graduate employability.
Facilitated by Dr. Mike Barber, University of Utah and Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, University of Nevada Las Vegas, the department leadership prepared strategic plans for their respective sections, developed mission and vision statements and core values, and developed goals and performance indicators to measure success of their departments. Building on from the earlier batch, this training focused on the required skills to be a successful leader with a visionary approach to sustainable improvement in faculty and student success.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Mike Barber welcomed the faculty from HESSA’s 16 partner universities and elaborated the objectives and impact of the project. Dr Osman Hasan, Pro Rector Academics NUST welcomed all the participants on campus and appreciated USAID for the continuous support to advance higher education in the country and for engaging international experts in all its trainings.
This workshop is complemented by virtual one-on-one sessions and an exposure visit to the University of Utah, U.S. Through this extended training program, HESSA seeks to develop a pool of trainers who will support the capacity building of university administration and facilitate transformation across their respective universities and beyond.
HESSA is a USAID-funded program that aims to introduce sustainable higher education reforms and work with Pakistani universities on international best practices in teaching, research, student support, and governance. For more information on USAID/Pakistan’s support in the education sector, visit: usaid.gov/pakistan/education
