Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: So far not a single appointment or admission has been made on the basis of favouritism or nepotism, says Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Javed Ashraf.

While talking to Daily Times, Quaid-e-Azam University vice chancellor said, “The merit system ever remained our preference.” He said that institutions could never be developed with out a comprehensive merit system.

“From the day assuming my charge, Quaid-e-Azam University has ever followed the merit either it was the admissions or appointment of the jobs,” the vice chancellor maintained. Dr Ashraf said that the research work of the university’s teachers is going on top among the other universities across the country. However, he admitted that 30 percent of the faculty was without having the PhD degrees and they are being sending abroad to for the PhD degrees in their relevant disciplines. Appreciating the efforts of Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr.Ashraf said that from 2000, the literacy level in the county has been increased like a miracle. Particularly the higher education has remarkably improved. He said that 40 percent chunk of the total budget of Quaid-e-Azam University is being provided by Higher Education Commission.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf said that the faculty members should be given awards in regards of their researches so that they feel satisfaction economically as well as socially. “The salaries and other incentives for scholars in the Middle East and United States are much high as compare to Pakistan. That is way the people preferred to work in abroad instead of their homeland because economic survival is in the instinct of every one”, he regretted.

However, he said Higher Education Commission as well as the incumbent government has taken important measures in this regard. It would take time to achieve the desired goals, he hoped. He said that because of the rigorous hard work, the university has been ranked among worlds’ top 500 universities of the world. Quaid-e-Azam University has distributed 2,084 scholarships among the talented students during the fiscal year 2013-14, he informed.

“Our policy makers should devise the policies in such a manner by which the academia could be produce according to the need of market,” he emphasized. The students should also review the market space before getting admissions blindly following one another, he advised. He admitted that there were some certain issues among the faculty members and other staff but now all the their concerns have settled though table discussion. According to the details, Dr Ashraf assumed the office of vice chancellor on October 13, 2014. He served as the director of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi. He has also served as faculty member for thirty years at four different universities in US.