LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department (PHED) claimed on Monday that vice chancellors (VCs) of five universities would be appointed within two months.

A PHED spokesman said that the department had constituted search committees for five universities, including Ghazi University Dera Ghazi Khan, Women University Multan, University of Home Economics, University of Jhang and Information Technology University, and the process of short-listing candidates for interviews would be completed within two months.

He also said that recommendations of the search committee for appointment of a VC at University of Sahiwal were sent to the competent authority for a final decision. Interviews of candidates for the University of Okara’s VC were under way and final recommendations of the search committee would be sent in the next few days.

The spokesman said that appointment of the VC of Lahore College for Women University was sub judice in the Supreme Court and the department would proceed according to orders of the court.

He said the department had also initiated process for appointing VCs at University of Engineering and Technology Taxila (which fell vacant due to transfer of its VC to the Punjab University), University of Narowal and all other universities whose VC’s terms were expiring by December.

He further said that industries, commerce and investment; livestock and dairy development; and agriculture departments would appoint VCs of Punjab Tianjin University of Technology, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, as they did not fall under the administrative control of the PHED.

The spokesman added that the department would also initiate the process for remaining universities under its administrative control as soon as possible.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018