Research and Reform; A policy perspective

In the Pakistani context higher education reforms represent a complex and multifaceted process carried out by the interplay of various stakeholder institutions and organizations. It includes the Ministry of Education, Higher Education Commission (HEC), and a small number of private and public sector universities. Since last one decade HEC has been struggling to overhaul the higher education sector in Pakistan with research and development as a top priority in its reform agenda. Given the contextual realities of the country, developing a strong research base in universities has remained an uphill task for the HEC. This study explores the role of the Higher HEC in facilitating and promoting educational research in Pakistani universities through policy analysis as research methodology. The role has been explored by the analysis of policy provisions, structures and processes developed by HEC to facilitate and promote educational research. Experiences of two Pakistani universities, one from public and one from private sector- has been analysed to explore that role. Findings of the research have been supplemented with discussion and recommendations for improvement.