RAPID - Recasting best prActices of euroPean universities during pandemic for Improving online eDucation in Pakistan HEIs

Pakistan higher education has been struggling to adopt 21st century modern teaching/learning methods, especially eLearning or online education. The reluctance to modernize higher education was exposed when COVID-19 hit the world and caused closure of campus life. Most of the Pakistani universities, especially in remote areas, suspended teaching/learning processes. Resultantly, students’ degrees were delayed by at least 6-18 months, also discontinuity affected overall students’ academic achievement. RAPID is intended to strengthen online education in Pakistan with the support of European partners. The main objectives of RAPID are to develop a national policy for online education, strengthen faculty capacity in eLearning and establish eLearning infrastructure at remote universities of Pakistan. RAPID has four Pakistani partners including HEC, the country’s regulatory body in higher education, SIBAU, IBA Karachi and LUMS. RAPID also includes three remote universities as associate partners including University of Balochistan, University of Turbat and University of Baltistan. The associate partners suffered most during COVID-19 closure due to lack of infrastructure and faculty capacity in online education. For learning best practices in eLearning, RAPID includes program countries’ partners including NTNU Norway, LNU Sweden and SAPIENZA Italy. The European partners have demonstrated excellence in eLearning and shown how eLearning assists in smooth transition of learning mode during catastrophes like pandemic. RAPID includes 60 Pakistani faculty/staff mobility to program countries for firsthand experience in eLearning, workshops at Pakistani universities for at least 120 faculty members, national summit for drafting online education policy document to be participated by at least 120 national stakeholder and establishment of eLearning infrastructure at remote universities. RAPID is expected to transform the overall landscape of eLearning in Pakistan.