KARACHI: Representatives of public sector universities in Sindh have opposed the coming policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) relating to appointment/promotion of associate professor and professor.

The policy, along with other matters, was discussed at a meeting of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (Fapuasa) held on Tuesday at Karachi University.

Highlighting teachers’ reservations, president of the Karachi University Teachers Society Prof Jamil Kazmi said that the HEC coming policy to impose a five and eight year limit for post-PhD experience for the posts of associate professor and professor was unfair.

“According to this policy, a PhD holder would wait for five years after completing his/her PhD even if the person meets other criteria for the same post,” he said.

According to teachers, the matter was earlier debated with the HEC that postponed its implementation till June 2015. They argued that nowhere in the world such criteria existed.

Evidence from the US, England, Korea, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Australia was given to the HEC, but the commission didn’t agree,” they said.

“The association strongly demands that the HEC withdraw the condition, which has no logic and precedent in the world. The association believes that such criteria are framed to stop people from progress,” a press release says.

The participants in the meeting expressed strong reservations on the role of the Sindh government towards education and especially higher education.

The government, they said, had held several meetings with teacher representatives over the Sindh universities act but hadn’t addressed their concerns.

“All universities of Sindh are united to protect the institutional autonomy and raise the standard of higher education in Sindh and Pakistan.

We have protested in the past for our grievances and will resume protests, if our demands are not accepted as agreed in the meetings,” the press release says.

They also showed concern over the situation prevailing at the Federal Urdu University for Arts, Science and Technology.

The current situation, they said, was not favourable for the academic environment and adversely affecting students and faculty.

“We demand immediate firm action by authorities to resolve the issues faced by the university. Matters should be settled on merit. The association will take strong steps if faculty members continued to be harassed,” the press release states.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2015

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