HEC Partners with Foreign Ministry for Digital Verification

What happened

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish secure digital verification of academic credentials. This partnership aims to set up a secure API-based integration between the attestation systems of the two institutions, enabling direct and secure verification of HEC-attested credentials. The MoU was signed by Executive Director HEC Prof Dr Zia Ul Haq and Foreign Secretary Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar and HEC Chairman Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar witnessing the signing ceremony.

The agreement incorporates safeguards for data sharing, confidentiality, cyber security, and protection of personally identifiable information, strengthening secure digital collaboration between the two institutions. This initiative will facilitate students and professionals by ensuring efficient, transparent, and tamper-proof verification of degrees, reducing manual processes and enhancing the credibility of Pakistani academic credentials abroad.

Who is affected

This partnership will benefit students and professionals who have obtained degrees from Pakistani institutions and need to verify their credentials for foreign universities, employers, or other purposes. The digital verification system will provide a secure and efficient way to verify degrees, reducing the need for manual processes and minimizing the risk of fraudulent activities. Additionally, this initiative will enhance the credibility of Pakistani academic credentials abroad, making it easier for students and professionals to pursue their careers internationally.

Key dates and details

The MoU was signed on October 12, 2026, and the partnership is expected to establish a secure digital verification system for academic credentials. The system will enable direct and secure verification of HEC-attested credentials, reducing manual processes and enhancing the credibility of Pakistani academic credentials abroad. While the exact timeline for the implementation of the digital verification system is not specified, it is expected to be launched soon.

What you should do

Students and professionals who need to verify their degrees should wait for the digital verification system to be launched. Once the system is operational, they can use it to verify their credentials securely and efficiently. In the meantime, they can continue to use the existing manual processes for degree verification. It is essential to note that the digital verification system will only be available for HEC-attested credentials, so students and professionals should ensure that their degrees are attested by the HEC before using the system.