Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has urged the public sector universities in the liberated territory to focus on the quality of education and promotion of the culture of innovation and research. “The public sector universities should utilise all available resources and means to provide a favourable academic environment to the students to prepare them for the future challenges,” he emphasised. Addressing the vice chancellors’ conference through video link from Awan-e-Saddar Muzaffarabad on Monday, he said that the vice-chancellors of all the five public sector universities in the state have been appointed on merit and under the law and the constitution, and all of them are endeavouring to impart higher education to the young generation in accordance with the requirements of the modern time. The state president maintained that all universities have largely achieved the goal of getting highly qualified and well-experienced faculty, but logically, the good faculty must improve the standard of education. “For this purpose, extra efforts are needed, and hopefully, our vice-chancellors will make comprehensive planning in this regard,” he added. Khan said that the problems of the students of educational institutions are part of the education system, and it is obligatory for the university administrations to resolve these problems and provide a conducive atmosphere to the students. He urged the vice-chancellors to launch new programs and disciplines keeping in view the future needs, conditions of the region, and the requirements of the modern era. They should impart to the students the education as per the needs and requirements of the job market. The AJK president said that the universities of the liberated territory should expand contacts with the universities of Pakistan and other countries of the region to take benefit from the knowledge and experience of the teachers and students of these universities. Particularly, the Mirpur University of Science and Technology should make comprehensive planning to introduce new sciences and new technologies to the students so that the students play their role in putting the country on the new vistas of development. He congratulated Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Kalim Abbasi of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Universities and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Younus Javed of the Mirpur University of Science and Technology for their appointment on merit. Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Vice-Chancellor AJK University, said that after a long struggle, he has succeeded in resolving the space and faculty problems of the university. The vice-chancellor said that the King Abdullah Campus located at Chattar Kallas has not only been completed by removing the obstacles but also equipped with required facilities to provide the best conducive learning environment to the students. He said that rapid steps are being taken to solve the unresolved issues at the new campus of the university. Similarly, he said, there was a shortage of suitable faculty earlier which has been increased from one hundred and eighty-one to two hundred and seventy More than 90 will be added for which necessary steps are being taken.