Daily Times

LAHORE: The newly revised criteria for selection of vice chancellors of public sector universities is likely to stir a controversy, as the teaching community is not happy over the revision made by the Higher Education Department (HED).

The new criteria for the selection of vice chancellors stated that a candidate for the position of vice chancellor should have preferably earned a PhD degree from a recognised institution. Previously, it was compulsory for the candidate to have a PhD degree from any recognised institution. Besides, under the new criteria, 10 additional marks have been allocated for candidates having a PhD degree.

The ending of requisite for PhD degree for the candidates of vice chancellors, who are supposed to head the professors having PhDs, has been widely criticised by the teaching community who not only condemned the decision but also demanded the Punjab government and HED to take back the decision in the wider interest of the community and for the betterment of higher education.

The teachers belonging to different universities and associations of teachers of public sector varsities criticised the decision. The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA), Punjab University Teachers Front (PUTF) and several office-bearers of PU Academic Staff Association (ASA) strongly condemned the new policy and process initiated by the government for the appointment of vice chancellors in public sector universities and warned the government of direct action. They called upon the government to take the decision back immediately because the opinion of relevant stakeholders had not been sought. He said that in case of failure, they would launch a direct action against the government.

FAPUASA Punjab Chapter President Dr Javed Ahmed said that the composition of the search committee and the whole process reflected that private sector was being promoted and public sector was being ignored. He said that against the government’s tall claims of consulting relevant stakeholders, the elected representatives of academic fraternity had been totally ignored in the whole process. He added that it was very shameful that an MA pass person could also be declared eligible for the top slot of the highest seats of learning.

PUASA Treasurer Dr Azhar Naeem wondered how could a person supervise or encourage research activities without having any experience of research? He said that since the politicians thought that it was their right to run the country, they also must allow teachers to run academic institutions because this was their job. He questioned whether Chief Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif would like to appoint any professor as Punjab chief secretary?

PU Teacher Front President Prof Sajid Rasheed said that the academic fraternity strongly rejected the opening of way for bureaucrats to head educational institutions. He said that universities were academic institutions, not districts, which the bureaucrats or any other irrelevant persons could run.

Published in Daily Times, November 9^th 2017.