The World Bank has launched a five-day Implementation Completion Mission to assess achievements, challenges and lessons learned as the USD 400 million Higher Education Development in Pakistan project reaches closure. The mission will review results, validate outputs and document best practices from HEDP, which has been implemented by the Higher Education Commission since 2019.
HEC hosted the World Bank team for the formal start of the final review, where divisional heads and HEDP component leads delivered an overview presentation highlighting implementation progress and strategic directions across project components. The presentations detailed how HEDP interventions have supported governance reforms, digitalization efforts and quality enhancement across Pakistan’s higher education institutions.
Nadeem Mahbub, Chairman HEC, welcomed the mission and expressed appreciation for the World Bank’s sustained technical support. He underlined the transformative impact of HEDP on institutional governance, digital systems and academic quality while outlining the roadmap for project closure and steps to ensure the sustainability of key interventions beyond project financing.
Executive Director HEC Engr. Dr. M. Mazhar Saeed extended a warm welcome to the World Bank delegation led by Senior Economist and Task Team Leader Ms. Inga Afanasieva, accompanied by Senior Education Specialist Ms. Ryoko Tomita and Consultant Ms. Mashal Yousaf. He commended the collaborative engagement between HEC and the World Bank and acknowledged the dedication of HEDP teams in delivering the project’s objectives.
The HEC-HEDP team, led by Project Coordinator Syed Naveed Hussain Shah, will present detailed reports on each component, emphasize sustainability plans beyond the project lifecycle and discuss measures to sustain impact at institutional and sectoral levels. The mission will prepare the Implementation Completion and Results Report (ICR) and hold consultative meetings with the Economic Affairs Division as part of the closure process.
By documenting outcomes, validating progress against development objectives and recording lessons learned, the mission aims to inform future higher education initiatives and reinforce the long-term viability of reforms introduced under HEDP. The visit marks an important step in capturing collective achievements and reaffirming the partnership between HEC and the World Bank to advance higher education reform in Pakistan.
