MULTAN: The Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) has decided to restart its distance learning programme after a years-long closure and constituted a committee in this regard.

As per details, the decision to restart the programme was taken over the direction of the Higher Education Commission.

According to an official handout, BZU Vice Chancellor Dr Mansoor Akbar Kundi constituted the committee on the direction of the HEC.

“VC Kundi is the committee chairman while Dr Shaukat Malik, Dr Imran Sharif and Director Academics Dr Javed Saliyana are its members,” the handout stated.

It further stated the committee had started the consultation process besides preparing a working paper in this regard.

“On the direction of the HEC, the education of BS and MS levels will be offered through the distance learning programme while in some particular subjects, the admission for MA will also be offered. Besides the distance learning programme, an online academic studies board has also been constituted.

VC Kundi is the chairman of this board while all deans and two chairmen of departments, two professors of emeritus, registrar, controller examinations and librarian are its members,” it stated.

It stated the distance learning programme would be started on a semester basis while the final approval to restart this programme would be taken from a high-level meeting of the university.

It is pertinent to mention here that the university’s distance learning programme was closed in 2016 on the direction of the HEC after a number of irregularities were reported regarding the start and functioning of this programme.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2021