A sense of anxiety currently prevails within academic circles. The concern stems from a news report that surfaced a few days ago. According to the report, the Punjab government has constituted a 13-member high-level committee to examine the possibilities of commercially utilizing the assets of public universities. In this regard, the Public-Private Partnership Authority has also been activated.
Members of the academic community have expressed serious reservations. They argue that after handing over public schools and commerce colleges to the private sector, the Punjab government has now set its sights on the privatization of public universities. For those associated with the education sector, this is undoubtedly a troubling development. If public universities are privatized, they contend, the very direction of higher education will change.
The government must ensure that quality, equitable, and affordable educational opportunities remain available.
Government circles, however, maintain that there is no intention to privatize public universities. According to the Punjab government, the newly formed 13-member committee will review proposals submitted by public universities seeking permission to commercially utilize certain institutional assets in order to generate additional revenue.
The Higher Education Department has issued a notification to all public universities in Punjab in this regard. The committee, headed by the Provincial Finance Minister, will evaluate the proposals submitted by universities in light of legal and financial requirements. A policy framework will then be formulated.
The Education Department has stated that any projects or activities approved under the public-private partnership model will be aligned with the educational objectives and institutional priorities of the respective universities. Despite this clarification, education experts continue to voice concerns. They fear that the government may ultimately be interested in gaining control over university assets. It is also being argued that this move could further curtail the powers of vice chancellors. Teachers’ associations believe that the government is attempting to withdraw from its financial responsibilities by expanding the role of the private sector in higher education institutions.
The reality is that for years we have been hearing about the fragile financial condition of public universities. Initially, this problem was largely confined to universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Some of the most prominent institutions in those provinces lacked sufficient funds even to pay salaries to faculty and staff. Today, public universities in Punjab are facing similar challenges.
In many universities, the treasurer office struggles every month to arrange funds for salaries. Once salaries are somehow paid, the next challenge is pension payments. Newer universities do not face the same level of burden, but the older the institution, the heavier its pension liabilities. The combined weight of salaries and pensions has left many public universities financially crippled. One could say they are struggling simply to survive.
I am personally aware that for several months some leading public universities have been seeking permission to use their assets for commercial purposes. They have formally written to the government in this regard, but approval has not been forthcoming. It is in the context of this deteriorating financial situation that the committee has now been established to examine such proposals.
The key question is: what is the solution? One option is for the provincial government to assume the entire financial burden of public universities. Following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, higher education financing has largely become the responsibility of provincial governments. However, governments argue that their limited financial resources make it impossible to shoulder the entire burden.
A more fundamental question deserves attention: Why do educational institutions possess assets worth billions and extensive administrative structures still unable to become financially sustainable after decades of operation? Why does this crisis of persistent deficits not affect the private sector in the same way? How is it that a private university established on a few acres of land can become profitable within a few years, while public colleges and universities possessing assets worth billions continue to operate at a loss?
Could it be that in private institutions, everyone, from the vice chancellor to the lowest-ranking employee, remains accountable to the owner, whereas in public institutions resources are often treated as if they belong to no one and therefore carry little accountability?
Nevertheless, if the government permits limited public-private partnerships and controlled commercial activities on the recommendation of universities themselves, there appears to be no inherent harm in such a policy. It could help reduce financial pressures on universities, improve infrastructure and facilities, and strengthen collaboration between industry and academia.
However, if the government intends to move beyond specific assets and pursue the complete privatization of public universities, such a decision would be far from prudent. It would almost certainly make higher education more expensive and place it further beyond the reach of young people. It would create uncertainty regarding the future of faculty and employees. Education, which is fundamentally a state responsibility, would effectively be transferred to the private sector, allowing curricula and academic activities to be shaped primarily by commercial considerations. Such a move would undoubtedly prove highly controversial.
The government must ensure that quality, equitable, and affordable educational opportunities remain available. Financing universities is also a state responsibility. Even today, many European countries including Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, consider the provision of higher education a public obligation. For domestic students, tuition fees are either negligible or non-existent. China, too, has invested billions of dollars in its public universities and elevated them to international standards.
In contrast, there is the American model. On one hand, the United States has expensive private institutions such as Harvard and Stanford. On the other, students attending public universities such as Michigan and the University of California system also face substantial tuition costs. As a result, many students obtain higher education but remain burdened with significant debt. There was a time when higher education in the United Kingdom was almost free. Over the years, however, tuition fees continued to rise, and today students are required to pay thousands of pounds.
The Punjab government must therefore decide which path it wishes to follow: the model of China, Germany, Sweden, and similar countries, or the model of nations where higher education has become prohibitively expensive. Unlike the United States, Pakistan does not even offer widespread access to student loans. In a country where many citizens already struggle to afford basic necessities, utility bills, and everyday expenses, who will be able to afford costly higher education?
In the current circumstances, university heads, faculty members, and employees must also engage in serious self-reflection. They should ask whether they themselves bear some responsibility for the deterioration of public universities. Consider the example of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). There was a time when it was regarded as one of Asia’s finest airlines. Gradually, however, it deteriorated to such an extent that privatization became inevitable. No amount of protest could ultimately prevent that outcome.
God forbid that any government should feel compelled to make a similar decision regarding public universities. To avoid such a scenario, public universities must embrace accountability and play their own role in institutional reform and improvement.
The writer is a Professor of Media and Communication Studies and a broadcast media expert. She currently serves as Chairperson of the Department of Film and Broadcasting at Punjab University.