SWABI: Over 150 MPhil/MS students enrolled in various departments of the Women’s University Swabi (WUS) are facing uncertain future as the university administration has so far not received the no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for initiating these programmes, sources in the university told Dawn on Friday.

They said the enrolled students in the MS programmes included 43 in Zoology, 25 in Chemistry, 24 in Botany, 10 in Mathematics, 14 in Political Science, 15 in Urdu and 21 in Islamic Studies.

Sources said the Higher Education Department had made it clear that the HEC would not grant NOC until the university inducted regular faculty or at least two PhD regular teachers in every department.

However, they said there was not a single permanent employee in the WUS though it was established in 2016.

The sources said earlier no serious efforts were made to meet the HEC requirements to secure the fate of MPhil/MS students.

In the interim administration of Prof Imtiaz Ali Khan an advertisement was issued for hiring regular teachers, but progress could not be made on it.

The sources said that upon arrival of permanent VC Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, she initiated the process of hiring regular faculty and conducted scrutiny of the earlier process. They said that on January 20, 2021, the university’s first-ever selection board was planned to be held to hire regular faculty for these departments, butit could not take place.

Prof Kazmi took another step to appoint teachers on a three-year contract to ensure a sense of job security among them and also satisfy HEC for granting the NOC.

Later, former acting vice-chancellor Dr Mukarram Shah reduced the teachers’ contract to six months through the syndicate. “Those who strived to regularise the teachers faced political pressure and the permanent VC (Urooj Kazmi) was sent on forced leave,” said a senior official of the university.

A few days ago, Prof Dr Zahoorul Haq, VC of Abdul Wali Khan University,Mardan, was givenadditional charge of the Women University Swabi and the employees and students now hope that he would meet their genuine demands.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2021