ISLAMABAD, JUN 22 /DNA/ – The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan organised an orientation session entitled “Importance of Establishing an ORIC and Measures to Enhance ORIC Performance and Ranking” for universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at HEC Regional Centre Peshawar.     

The session was attended by representatives of public and private sector higher education institutions, including Directors Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORICs), Directors Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs), and other relevant university officials.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Director (HEC Regional Centre) Mr. Shaif Ur Rahman highlighted the pivotal role of ORICs in strengthening the research ecosystem of universities, promoting innovation, facilitating industry engagement, and enhancing the overall quality and performance of higher education institutions. He underscored HEC’s continued commitment to supporting universities in establishing and strengthening ORICs as key drivers of institutional development and research excellence.

The technical session was conducted by Assistant Director (Research and Innovation Division) HEC Mr. Ahmad Gulzar Kiyani. The participants were briefed on the strategic importance of ORICs in fostering a culture of research, innovation, commercialisation, and industry-academia collaboration within universities. The session provided a comprehensive overview of the HEC ORIC Policy 2021, ORIC recognition framework, performance evaluation mechanisms, and the role of ORICs in supporting institutional growth and national development objectives.

During the session, participants were apprised of the key functions and responsibilities of ORICs, including research management, intellectual property facilitation, technology transfer, commercialisation support, industry engagement, startup and spin-off promotion, and research impact assessment. The presentation also highlighted the contributions of ORICs towards improving institutional governance, strengthening research output, enhancing external funding opportunities, and promoting innovation-led economic development.

Special emphasis was placed on measures that universities can adopt to improve ORIC performance and ranking under HEC’s ORIC Scorecard framework. Participants were briefed on performance indicators relating to research productivity, commercialization outcomes, intellectual property generation, industry linkages, startup development, and institutional support mechanisms. Practical recommendations were shared on strengthening ORIC structures, improving data management and reporting practices, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and aligning institutional priorities with national research and innovation goals.

The session also provided an interactive platform for participants to discuss challenges faced by universities in establishing and operationalising ORICs. Representatives of various institutions shared their experiences and exchanged views on best practices for improving research management systems, fostering innovation ecosystems, and increasing the visibility and impact of university research.

The orientation session reflects HEC’s ongoing efforts to strengthen research and innovation management capacities across higher education institutions and to support universities in developing robust ORICs capable of driving research excellence, innovation, commercialization, and meaningful engagement with industry and society.