February 7, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 8, 1427

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LAHORE, Feb 6: The Higher Education Commission came under fire in the vice-chancellors’ meeting presided over by Governor Khalid Maqbool, who is also the chancellor of public sector universities in the Punjab, at the Governor’s House here on Monday.

Most of the vice-chancellors of 16 universities held the HEC responsible for under-utilization of funds it (commission) allocated them for projects. The VCs were of the view that the HEC did not guide them properly in this regard.

They said some 25 per cent to 30 per cent of HEC funds usually lapsed owing to complicated procedures for their utilization.

The varsity teachers were not aware of some of its programmes as well. “The HEC should not only educate the varsities on availability of funds for different projects but also help them tap foreign funding,” they said.

They said in certain projects the commission took several months for the release of funds. Regarding the poor response in availing foreign PhD scholarships, the VCs questioned if most of them (teachers) left for scholarship abroad, who would fill the void?

A vice-chancellor pointed out that he was facing problems in teachers’ promotion in his institution. He said the HEC had laid down certain criterion for teachers’ promotion but not providing it the rules despite a request for the last six months, he added.

Another VC said the HEC was not providing the list of its recognized research journals thus creating problems for the teachers doing research.

Defending the role of the HEC, the governor said it was taking steps to improve the quality of education. “Losing control over quality can be very damaging. Don’t erode its effort of quality,” he asked the VCs.

He said: “We would have to see deficiencies in our educational system but there would be no compromise on quality of education.”

On the other hand, the HEC representatives said it was not giving dictation in the day-to-day affairs of the varsities but it was concerned about the standard of education.

The HEC had also reservations about the opening of sub-campuses by the universities which were set up a few years ago. “If the universities like the Punjab and Engineering and Technology open sub-campuses, it is good because of their stature but it will be unfair to authorize the younger ones (universities) to set up their sub-campuses as they are even inexperienced to manage their own affairs,” they observed.

They expressed apprehension over the UET Taxila’s sub-campus in Chakwal and Pind Dadan Khan, University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s in Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and Deepalpur. They also objected to the allotment of 500 acres for the establishment of new campus of the Government College University in Kala Shah Kaku describing it as land in excess for the purpose.

They said the varsities should expand their engineering and planning and development departments for better utilization of HEC’s grant.

Governor Maqbool said the sub-campuses were being opened with a complete homework as they would offer professional courses. Besides, it was the right of the people living in these areas to have a varsity.

The governor said the UET must have a sub-campus as Rs30 billion had been invested in the city for the construction of three cement plants which required engineers. The governor was told that the process of acquisition of land for the sub-campuses was near completion.

As many as 17 sub-campuses of various universities are being set up in relatively under-developed districts of the province.

The varsities in Punjab utilized Rs93 million against Rs6,402 million allocated by the HEC for PhD fellowship for 5,000 scholarship programme, Rs9.8 million against Rs170 for holding seminars and conferences, Rs16 million against Rs125 million for faculty development, Rs1.1 million against Rs36 million for training programmes, Rs400,000 against Rs90 million for supplement to scientific instrument projects, Rs24 million against Rs259 million for the merit scholarship for PhD programme and Rs2.9 million against Rs194 million for scholarship for teachers (humanities).

The governor directed the varsities and HEC to develop better understanding of the best utilization of funds to improve quality of education.

He asked the Pakistan Baitul Maal, which is giving 200 scholarship to each varsity for students, to change the scholarship name as ‘education talent scholarship’ and increase the limit of a family’s monthly income from Rs4,000 to Rs6,000 for deserving students.

The governor said Rs3.2 billion would be allocated for the research in scientific studies during the next five years. A foreign faculty member would be authorized to supervize a research project between Rs6 million and Rs40 million, he added.

At present, there are some 132 foreign faculty members in the Pakistani universities, of them 55 are in Punjab.