November 5, 2003	Wednesday	Ramazan 9, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: In response to concerns expressed by the university teachers, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed public-sector universities to modify Tenure Track System (TTS) statutes in the light of their particular requirements, official sources told Dawn.

The HEC, in an official statement on Monday, said after receiving a number of suggestions, the commission had decided to improve upon the TTS statutes to imply them in the universities uniformly through respective syndicates and senates.

However, the commission expressed the hope that the internationally recognized system would be adopted by all the public-sector universities with open arms, the statement said.

It is the need of the hour that environment and culture of the country’s public sector universities should be changed and brought on a par with that of international institutions of higher education, it said.

The HEC, through a letter, had asked the public sector universities to implement the TTS, whereby future appointments in the varsities would be made on contract basis.

Under the TTS, teachers will be given a lump sum salary package contrary to the existing regular service system. And, after every three years, a review committee, comprising HEC officials, will decide whether to extend the contract on the basis of their performance.

Likewise, serving teachers, who are interested in the new service structure, have to resign from their regular services. Owing to a number of lacunas in the TTS, public-sector university teachers throughout the country termed the scheme defective.

Meanwhile, in another meeting presided over by the HEC chairman, Dr Attaur Rehman, here on Monday, the commission decided to develop a comprehensive plan to attract highly educated and experienced educationists residing abroad through its Foreign Faculty Hiring Programme, an official statement said.

It was also decided that the fundamental spirit and goals of the scheme would be disseminated largely on national and international forums to convince the faculty members of reputed educational institutions to play their role in raising the standard of the universities of developing countries like Pakistan.

The objective of the programme is to hire 300 foreign faculty members each year for the next five years to fill the vast gap of qualified research academics and PhD supervisors in the country’s higher education sector.

Foreign faculty members, who will bring tremendous wealth of knowledge and research experience, are expected to impart a modern and progressive outlook to research-based academic programmes in Pakistani universities.

Furthermore, the project will generate linkages between local and foreign institutions, encouraging long-terms sustainable scientific collaborations.

Foreign faculty members will be expected to supervise world- class graduate level research and deliver cutting-edge graduate level courses in their respective academic disciplines. The HEC will ensure the provision of funds for supporting graduate students and associated research expenses.