Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi, the Vice Chancellor of Government College University Lahore, on Tuesday unveiled his three-year strategic vision “GCU Goals: 2020-23” aimed at improving quality of education, promoting research culture, internationalization, infrastructure development and digitalization of university’s learning and management systems.
The Vice Chancellor unveiled the document “GCU Goals: 2020-23” at a monthly meeting of academic heads and deans at the University’s meeting Rooms. “This monthly meeting of the University’s academic heads will become a permanent feature of the University calendar and would be held on every first Tuesday of the month to review the progress on these goals and discuss challenges faced by the University,” said Prof. Asghar Zaidi.
He said that the GCU Lahore is empowering its academic heads, and from this year onwards, instead of the University’s Registrar Office, chairpersons and Deans are given responsibility to ensure merit and transparency in admissions and appointments. Talking about the importance of holding training of faculty and staff, Prof. Zaidi remarked that GCU will have HR policy to attract and retain the best talent.
He also revealed that the University was planning to resume its classes from September 15, 2020 subject to the approval of the Punjab government. However, he called upon the chairpersons to ensure strict implementation of SOPs to protect faculty and students from COVID19. Prof. Zaidi said that the biggest challenge, they would be facing this year, is to start academic activities on the new campus of GCU in Kala Shah Kaku. He said initially Physical Education and Fine Arts Departments would be shifted to the New Campus, while Chemistry Department had also consented to conduct its MPhil classes there. These Departments will also retain their buses in the old campus. He said that buses and other faculties would be provided to these departments and they will enjoy the first movers advantages.
The Vice Chancellor said that as many as ten focal persons were appointed under Clause 4 of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Policy against Sexual Harassment and students are encouraged to report any matter related to harassment to these focal persons. However, he said that students and faculty could also report any such matters on the Vice Chancellor portal through the University’s website.
The VC also shared that the GCU Goals also aimed at strengthening employability of their graduates and developing entrepreneurial mindset, producing research leading to commercialization and social impact, developing linkages with policy making bodies, partnering with industry and academia abroad and improvement in all the underlying indicators used for international university rankings.