The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan on Saturday approved a policy on dual, double and joint degree programmes to facilitate structured academic collaboration between Pakistani higher education institutions and recognised local and foreign partner institutions.
The policy has been introduced in view of the growing globalisation of higher education, increasing student mobility, international academic partnerships, and the need to align Pakistani higher education with global standards.
It provided a formal regulatory framework for universities seeking to offer collaborative degree programmes at undergraduate and graduate levels.
The policy provided for three forms of collaborative academic arrangements, namely dual degree programmes leading to the award of two degrees in distinct or closely related fields, double degree programmes leading to the award of two degrees in the same discipline by partnering institutions, and joint degree programmes involving the issuance of a single degree jointly awarded and signed by collaborating institutions.