PAFIAST students to get free education in Austria

PESHAWAR: In a major breakthrough, the world’s top-ranked universities and the Austrian government have offered free education to the students of Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur.

The University of Applied Sciences FHJOANNEUM will charge only the out-of-EU fees amounting to around EUR800 per student instead of EUR 9,000 actual costs. The PAFIAST student’s tuition fee will be waived at the University of Applied Sciences, MCI Innsbruck. The International Cooperation Higher Education Austria (OEAD) announced scholarships for the students of PAFIAST to cover living expenses up to EUR1,180. The students on the OEAD scholarship will enjoy a full tuition fee waiver as well.

A delegation of the Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology, Haripur visited different universities and met the government officials in Austria. The delegation was led by Dr Atta Ur Rahman, who is the Vice Chair of the Institute’s Board of Governors.

A meeting was held between the Pakistani delegation and the officials of MCI Innsbruck University. Andreas Altmann (Rector MCI), Alex Dumfort (Program Faculty), Werner Stadlmayr (HoD), and Vladan Antonovic (Coordinator Transnational Education and Projects) participated in the meeting.

A comprehensive engagement mechanism, proposed already by the MCI faculty, will be implemented to ensure the award of Austrian degrees to the PAFIAST students. In the initial phase, selected Chemical Engineering students will be enrolled in the MS degree program at MCI after they have completed four years of their bachelor studies at PAFIAST and receive an Austrian degree in 1-2 years’ time.

It was agreed in principle to provide a tuition fee waiver to the PAFIAST students studying at MCI. However, details of the MS program and its duration will be jointly finalised by the faculty in the next few months. Several options are also in consideration for the award of the MCI MS degree in one year (the shortest possible time). In the meantime, MCI has agreed to send at least two faculty members to deliver lectures at the PAFIAST Campus in Haripur in the fall 2022 semester.

FH JOANNEUM Graz is another major partner institution of PAFIAST. It has offered to charge only the out-of-EU fees amounting to around EUR800 per student instead of EUR9,000, actual cost. FH JOANNEUM has also agreed to offer an online German language course to the students of PAFIAST.

FHJ Graz also offered to extend the ongoing cooperation by adding a new dual degree program, especially related to medical sciences – nursing, primary healthcare, ambulatory care, telemedicine, cardio technologies, micro CT, etc. These options will be discussed at the appropriate forums of the Institute for further planning and implementation.

Dr Wiedenhofer, head of the division, explained the research funding provision for their faculty of FHJ. In addition, to the government and industry research funding, the FHJ also offers pre-seed funding in small amounts to help the faculty in developing a winning research proposal. In addition, some funds are also set aside as top-up (called Co-funding) for the already won grants to augment funds in case of deficiencies. It was also emphasised that the research projects’ outcomes should be included in the curricula of relevant study programs.

It was reiterated that up to five students from each of the four cooperating disciplines will study in FHJOANNEUM for either the fourth year of their bachelor’s studies or 1-2 years of the MS program of that discipline. The one-year study of students at FH JOANNEUM will comprise two semesters, (10 months) plus one month for welcome and orientation.

Moreover, the International Cooperation Higher Education (OEAD) Austria announced scholarships for the students of PAFIAST during a meeting with the Pakistani delegation. The PAFIAST delegation met with Jakob Calice, managing director, and Gerhard Volz, head of the International Cooperation in Higher Education (OEAD). The OEAD suggested that they can assist in bringing faculty from Austria to PAFIAST under the Erasmus+ program. For this, the FHJ Graz and MCI Innsbruck can approach the OEAD with proposals.

It was agreed that the availability of OEAD scholarships (open to anyone) for the students (living expenses for bachelor students EUR 980 and graduate students EUR1,180) will be ensured at the request of Austrian partner Fachhochschulen for the students of PAFIAST. The students on the OEAD scholarship enjoy a full tuition fee waiver as well.

A consent of support from the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research will strengthen the case of scholarships for the PAFIAST students. Since there have been several joint academic collaborative projects between Austria and Pakistan, the OEAD would like to showcase PAFIAST as one of the major positive outcomes of this partnership.

The PAFIAST delegation met with the senior officials of the Austrian Ministry of Education. Dr Atta Ur Rehman briefed about the PAFIAST and its collaborations with Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences. It was agreed that the ministry will look into the possibility of declaring PAFIAST as an Austrian campus on the foreign soil but this requires recognition and support for the PAFIAST students in Austria. The matter of accreditation of Austrian study programs, delivered in Pakistan, by AQ Austria was discussed.

Secretary Higher Education KP Dawood Khan told this correspondent that it is a landmark achievement of the PAFIAST and the provincial government as different universities agreed to cut down their tuition fee and other expenses.

“The KP government strongly endorses this initiative, which will give an opportunity to the competent youth to come forward and serve the country. The students of the PAFIAST will have a great opportunity to study in the world’s best universities on nominal charges,” he said.

Dawood Khan said the government is making efforts to encourage all the public sector universities to sign MoU’s with the foreign universities for quality and hi-tech education.