(24-02-2010)

Vice Chancellors Welcome PM’s Assurance of Continuing Higher Education Funding

The Vice Chancellors and Rectors of the public sector universities have welcomed the Prime Minister’s assurance that there will be no reduction in the Government funding for the higher education sector.

This was announced at a press conference addressed by the vice chancellors at the conclusion of the Vice Chancellors’ Committee Meeting organized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) at Islamabad on Wednesday. Dr. Javaid R. Laghari, Chairman HEC presided over the meeting. Over 70 heads of universities from all over the country attended the meeting.

The university heads had met the PM the previous evening where the Prime Minister committed that there will be no cut in PSDP projects in health and education. He also acknowledged HEC efforts to bring the higher education sector at par with the international institutions. He also mentioned that according to National Education Policy-2009, the education budget would be raised to 7 % of the GDP by 2015.

The Committee passed a joint resolution emphasizing the safe release of Dr. Lutfullah Kakakhel, the kidnapped vice chancellor of the Kohat University of Sciences and Technology (KUST) who is missing for the last four months. The Committee demanded that the Federal Government should take all possible measures to get him released immediately.

The Committee also recommended names of three vice chancellors as vice chancellors’ representatives in the Commission for approval by the Prime Minister.

The vice chancellors committee unanimously agreed to improve quality and give it top priority in order the meet the challenges faced by the higher education sector. It agreed that all PhD dissertations in subjects other than languages and Islamic Studies should be written in English. It also recommended that all PhD defence should be live telecast on the HEC video conferencing system.

It was emphasized that no compromise will be made whether it is appointment of faculty members; selection of students, graduate, post-graduate, MS/PhD studies or evaluation of research.

The Vice Chancellors also supported HEC’s decision to take strict action against those PhD scholars who have failed to return. They said that the scholars must return otherwise they will be held accountable for the public money.

Earlier speaking to the participants of the meeting, the Chairman HEC categorically stated that no excuse will be accepted from the higher education institutions for compromising the quality of education. “We still receive complaints for violation of approved criteria. The universities must set the quality as the top most criterion for their academic, administrative and research activities,” he said.   

Dr. Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC said that there was a strong need to build university systems. “Now the university should come in the forefront playing the leadership role while the HEC will work in the background. The universities must focus on reforming the governance structure, besides strengthening linkages with industry as well as the communities where they are operating.”

He said that the image of the higher education institutions was not commensurate with their achievements hence effective communication strategies are required to enhance link with all the stakeholders ranging from faculty and students to funding agencies and community groups.