Daily Times

A dialogue was organised on the challenges in the field of higher education in collaboration with University of Education (UoE) and an inter university consortium.

According to sources, the seminar was organised with the help of former employees of Higher Education Commission (HEC) who were now working in Punjab Higher Education Commission on important posts. The seminar was presided over by Quality Assurance Director General Farmanullah Anjum but the charge of Quality Assurance director general was taken back from him on July 3, 2018 but even then he presided the dialogue as DG.

Farmanullah Anjum was posted to Executive Directors Secretariat for research and analysis activities but he has so far not relieved the charge. The documents further said that Nazir Hussain was transferred from HEC regional centre Lahore to Statistical Information Unit Islamabad and director Shahzeb Abbasi has been transferred from A&C Division HEC Islamabad to HEC regional Centre Lahore.

Sources said that Anjum had worked in seven different departments and divisions of HEC. He was appointed as DG one and a half month before the appointment of newly appointed HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri.

The dialogue was attended by Punjab HEC Chairman Dr Nizzamuddin, Government College University (GCU) Vice Chancellor Dr Hassan Amir Shah, UoE VC Dr Rauf-e-Azam, Kinnaird College Principal Dr Rukhsana David, Virtual University Rector Dr Naveed A Malik, Women University VC Dr Farhat Saleemi, Government Sadiq College For Women University, Bahawalpur VC Dr Talat Afza.

Speaking on the occasion, PHEC Chairman Dr Nizamuddin said both provincial and federal HECs should work together for the uplift of higher education.

Dr Rauf-e-Azam said that this dialogue is a golden opportunity for “us that we should sit together and discuss the issues faced by higher education sector”.

He also said that newly appointed Dr Tariq Banuri is serious in resolving the issues faced by higher education sector and “we should help him in his noble cause”.

GCU VC Dr Hassan Amir Shah said that political interference in universities should be stopped.

At the end of the dialogue, the participants unanimously recommended that autonomy of the universities should be respected; the government must allocate four percent of Gross Domestic Product for education and it should be given constitutional protection. All provinces have the right to establish their own HEC.

It was recommended that the government should establish a task force which gave recommendations for amendment in Higher Education Act and work for the promotion of higher education in the country.

Published in Daily Times, July 15^th 2018.