ISLAMABAD: An education ministry search committee on Friday finished interviewing 28 shortlisted candidates for the top posts of the three public-sector universities in the capital.

The process for interviewing candidates for the posts of vice chancellors of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and rector International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) took three days.

QAU VC Dr Javed Ashraf, AIOU VC Dr Shahid Siddiqui and IIUI Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai will retire this month after completing their four-year terms respectively.

The ministry had advertised the three posts in March and gave a month’s deadline to candidates for submitting their applications.

However, the process was delayed as the search committee only held its first meeting last month.

The committee, headed by Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood and included Higher Education Committee (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri and Dr Sania Nishtar, completed its task on Friday.

Posts were advertised in March, process was delayed as search committee held first meeting last month

The shortlisted candidates include former HEC chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, former HEC executive director Dr Mansoor Kundi, outgoing IIUI Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai and IIUI VC Dr Mohammad Tahir Khalily.

The education ministry officials told Dawn that the process of finalising nine names, three for each post, will be conducted next.

These names will then be forwarded to the prime minister for final selection.

“There is no reason for delay anymore and I think the new appointments will be made in the next few days,” an official said.

Last time, the process of appointing VCs for the three universities was also delayed as the advertisements were published in Nov 2013 but the appointments were made in Oct 2014, seven months after the retirement of the previous heads of the universities.

QAU has been facing a number of challenges, including the faculty protesting against the incumbent VC and strikes by teachers due to which the VC is running the affairs of the university from his house.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2018