LARKANA: Newly-appointed vice chancellor of Shaheed Moh­tarma Benazir Bhutto Medical Uni­versity (SMBBMU) Prof Dr Aneela Attaur Rehman has said the uni­versity’s syndicate will be recons­tituted within a couple of months, stressing that “we will not compose ‘family syndicate’”.

Prof Rehman, who has barely completed two months in office, said at a press conference at Larkana Press Club on Thursday that the new syndicate would be constituted strictly on the basis of merit.

In past recommendations for the syndicate had been forwarded to the competent authority but were turned down owing to shortfalls and lacunas, she said.

She said that syndicate was vital forum for running the university in accordance with rules and regulations. “We have nothing to do with the past,” she said alluding between the lines to favouritism by the syndicate in the past.

She said that she has had to fight each step and surmount innumer­able hurdles to set the university’s affairs aright. Still she could not do what she originally wanted to because of obstacles.

She, there­fore, needed time to further imp­rove conditions at the university.

“I have conveyed all the difficul­ties and issues I am facing to Sindh chief minister and he has assured me of his full support,” she said.

She regretted that the university had done almost nothing in rese­arch area which was a key compo­nent of higher education at the university level as, according to her, doctors were concerned only about their own issues while teachers were enjoying extra positions and perks.

She pledged to make the univer­sity a state-of-the-art institution and said that after having overcome the impediments she would focus on research and give it a boost.

She talked of irregularities committed in the past and lack of accountability in the university and said that reconstitution of syn­dicate was in process. After fini­shing with it, job selection board would be formed, she said, adding that at present senate was non-functional.

She said in answer to a question about recent recruitment of 400 employees in the university that though the jobs had been given without completing formalities she did not want to render anyone job­less. “We will seek opinion of Sindh chief minister and secretary of law regarding [extra] recruitments,” she said.

Prof Rehman said the university had been overburdened with unne­ce­ssary jobs. In one case, 94 per­sons were recruited against 17 vaca­ncies. In future, she said, the professors could only avail of three foreign tours in a year.

She said the condition of residen­tial colonies and hostels was deplor­able.

Flanked by Prof Dr Shahida Sha­ikh, additional registrar, the VC who had announced donating a power generator to the club said that coming six months were cru­cial for turning around the university.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2018