ISLAMABAD, APR 3 /DNA/ – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, through its National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE), has successfully concluded a landmark nationwide faculty training initiative under the Fehm-e-Quran program. This achievement reaffirms HEC’s commitment to integrating meaningful religious understanding and ethical values within higher education across Pakistan.

Pursuant to the directive of the Chairman HEC issued on March 28, 2025, the Fehm-e-Quran course was introduced as a compulsory two-credit-hour subject for all undergraduate and graduate programs in HEC-recognized universities. In line with this national mandate, NAHE was tasked with preparing university faculty through a comprehensive and structured training program.  

The training was delivered in two phases — online orientations and in-person workshops at designated regional hubs — ensuring maximum outreach and participation from higher education institutions across the country. Out of a total of 267 universities, including 160 public and 107 private sector institutions, NAHE has successfully trained faculty from 229 universities, achieving an impressive 85.7 percent national coverage. Of these, 190 universities were covered through physical workshops, while 39 universities took part via online orientations.

Regionally, Punjab showed exceptional compliance, with 92 out of 97 universities, or 94.8 percent, successfully trained, the highest among all regions. Significant participation was also recorded from the Federal area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. To ensure sustained academic support, Dr. Ubaid-ur-Rehman Bashir, Consultant for Fehm-e-Quran, has been offering continuous guidance, query resolution, and facilitation to universities through digital platforms and direct institutional coordination since May 2025.

With the successful completion of the core training mandate, NAHE now proposes transitioning the initiative into the implementation and compliance phase. Considering constraints on physical engagements, any additional training requests will be facilitated through online platforms such as MS Teams. This initiative marks a significant milestone in Pakistan’s higher education landscape by fostering a deeper understanding of the Quran among students while promoting intellectual, ethical, and spiritual development.

The Higher Education Commission remains passionately committed to strengthening academic excellence and value-based education in line with national priorities and aspirations.