Governance

ASU worked closely with its Pakistani partner universities and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to help develop governance structures that integrated USPCAS-E within the existing structures of its host universities. This integration will allow for greater institutionalization and sustainability of these centers beyond the life of the project.

ASU’s core assistance in this area included assisting both NUST and UET Peshawar to develop and implement multi-year strategic plans for their respective centers that are aligned with the overall goals and objectives of the project.

In order to provide advice, support and guidance to the centers at NUST and UET Peshawar, the following committees and councils were established and met on a regular basis:

National Steering Committee

Led by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the National Steering Committee for the U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies program meets every quarter to review progress, work plans, and leverage plans regarding research and development. Under the leadership of the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, the committee provides policy guidelines and makes recommendations for effective and timely implementation of the program. The committee also reviews progress of academic activities and results of the approved research projects in the field of energy.

Steering Committees – University-based

The steering committees at each university serve as guiding councils that continuously provide strategic guidance, review project progress and recommend changes to ensure that USPCAS-E achieves its targets and goals. The committees also help garner support and cooperation of all relevant stakeholders.

Policy and Research Councils

The role of the policy and research council at each university is to devise research grant mechanisms, scrutinize all applied research grant applications and check their relevance towards Pakistan’s energy needs and requirements. The councils, which include relevant stakeholders, also help formulate the applied research agenda in order to promote research and develop the energy sector and technology-based conducive policies that will help overcome energy related challenges in Pakistan.