Govt to Set up National Institute of Intelligence & Security Studies at QAU

The federal government has decided to establish an institute, called the National Institute of Intelligence and Security Studies (NISS), at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU). Sources told ProPakistani that the federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal of establishing NISS which would prepare personnel for the senior intelligence positions and would provide intellectual input to government departments and decision-makers for policy formulation. Sources said the decision was made in view of the significant role of the intelligence community in handling security challenges as a first line of the national defense. They added that Pakistan had a number of training institutions for the practitioners, however, there was a gap in terms of educational development of the national intelligence community. They held that there was room for introducing new disciplines of intelligence and security studies at undergraduate, graduation, and postgraduate levels to enhance knowledge about different strands of intelligence. Sources said NISS intended to offer a four-year BS intelligence and security studies degree with majors in intelligence and security studies and cyber technology, in addition to a two-year MS intelligence and security studies degree with a major in intelligence and security studies and cyber technology. The postgraduate diplomas and certificates as well as short duration courses of a single semester or two semesters will facilitate the in-service intelligence community to improve their knowledge and accumulate credit hours for further studies.