Details of Pakistani students awarded HEC scholarships for BS & Ph.D programs abroad

From 2016 to 2024, under the Bilateral Agreement with Government of Hungary, a total of 749 students have been awarded BS scholarships (4-5 year program) out of which 149 have completed their studies and 600 are still abroad to complete their BS program.

The province wise break up is mentioned below:

A total of 3,001 scholars proceeded in last 10 years for studies abroad for PhD studies out of which 1,126 have completed their studies and returned to Pakistan while 1,810 are studying abroad. 65 students have not returned to Pakistan after completion of studies.

The details are given below:

In addition to the above, various scholarship projects under “Faculty Development Program” in the universities are being executed through PSDP portfolio of HEC.

During last five years:

• 185 scholars completed their PhD studies and returned to Pakistan.
• 144 scholars currently pursuing their PhD studies abroad.
• 34 scholars have not returned to Pakistan.

The province-wise breakup is:

Sharing the above data with the Senate on Friday, the Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui told the House that the COVID -19 pandemic has adversely affected the overall performance in terms of placement of students during 2020 and 2021 wherein the admissions were closed and even there had been a travel ban in some countries, further those students who were already enrolled in universities could not complete their studies as per schedule due to delay in data collections and lab restrictions etc.

In addition, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is also facing shortage of Foreign Exchange Component (FEC) share for payment to its partner universities against liability in shape of payment of tuition fee and stipend for new intakes therefore, the HEC refrained to send new scholars’ abroad.