LAHORE: Vice Chancellors from public and private sector universities from across the country, except Punjab, attended a conference on higher education convened by the federal Higher Education Commission (HEC) here on Thursday.

Following a Punjab government restraint, VCs of public sector varsities in the province stayed away from the moot.

A Punjab Higher Education Department notification on Wednesday said the issue of determination of role of federal and provincial HECs, pertaining to higher education in the aftermath of the 18th Amendment, is under discussion in the Council of Common Interests (CCIs), wherein the Punjab government has submitted its views/comments after approval from the chief minister. Therefore, it is advised any officer of a public sector university of Punjab may not issue statement or attend any official proceeding without seeking formal approval in writing from the chancellor/government. According to a source, the HEC meeting was convened for consultation over the role of the federal and provincial HECs but it was dropped from the agenda items. He said the HEC chairman had to leave for Islamabad soon after the meeting because the prime minister office had directed him to report the PM office as soon as possible. “The premier may take notice of this matter,” the source said.

Some 50 VCs from public and private universities attended the moot on Thursday -- 30 in person and rest through video link as they could not get flights to Lahore due to fog.

‘PM may take up the issue with HEC chairman’

Senate Standing Committee on Devolution Process Chairman Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi condemned the Punjab government decision of restraining VCs from discussing an education-related issue. He said the senate standing committee would call all public sector universities VCs, HEC chairman and representatives of all the provincial governments to Islamabad to discuss higher education thoroughly.

The vice chancellors reportedly reposed their confidence in the federal HEC and discussed governance and quality of higher education in universities and in their affiliated colleges. Vice Chancellors Committee Chairman Dr Masoom Yasinzai briefed the participants on the purpose of the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said the VCs were the major stakeholders of higher education sector and the meeting was important in terms of development of the sector.

He said significant development had been made for improving quality of teaching in universities but there were still some points that needed correction. He asked universities to set up quality enhancement cells for their affiliated colleges to monitor their performance.

He said that HEC progress over the past 15 years had won recognition abroad and several countries, including Mauritius, Bangladesh and Belarus, had sought help in setting up higher education bodies there.

The chairman said the second biggest problem facing the higher education institutions was liabilities i.e. about Rs. 450 billion in lieu of pension fund.

He urged the universities to conduct studies in order to find out a viable solution to financial issues of pension that many universities were beset with. He assured them the HEC would extend all possible assistance in this regard.

During the course of meeting, the VCs expressed their confidence in the HEC and appreciated its vision and the support that HEC had been extending to higher education institutions. They also shared problems facing their respective universities.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2018