The Higher Education Commission has constituted a high-level task force to review the performance and effectiveness of business incubation centres (BICs) operating in higher education institutions across the country, according to an official notification issued on Thursday. Former HEC chairman Dr Javaid R. Laghari has been appointed convener of the body.
A notification issued on Wednesday stated that the task force comprises leading figures from the corporate, venture capital, entrepreneurship and higher education sectors. Its members include Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited CEO Khurram Zafar, Zayn Venture Capital founder and CEO Faisal Aftab, Indus Valley Capital founder Atif Awan, Sehat Kahani CEO Dr Sara Saeed Khurram and National Incubation Center Islamabad Project Director Sayyad Ahmad Masud.
Vice chancellors or nominees and heads of BICs from several universities have also been included in the task force. The institutions represented include the National University of Sciences and Technology, University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Dow University of Health Sciences and Habib University among others.
According to the terms of reference, the committee will review the existing policy framework, funding model and accountability mechanisms of BICs, besides proposing measures to strengthen startup incubation, industry linkages, entrepreneurship support and commercialisation activities within universities.
Key members of the task force are Khurram Zafar, Faisal Sherjan, Faisal Aftab, Atif Awan, Dr Zain Ul-Abdin, Sayyad Ahmad Masud, Zulfiqar Qazilbash, Dr Sara Saeed Khurram, Muhammad Murtaza Noor and Dr Eram Abbasi.
