The 35 members delegation of Association of Private Universities and Institutes (APUI), which consisted on Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of different private sector universities in Pakistan, will meet here on Sunday, December 12. The meeting has particularly been called to the issue of categorisation of private sector universities by the HEC, which in the view of APUI had no jurisdiction in this regard.
The Association has shown its reservations towards what it called discrimination being shown to private sector universities and institutes as against the public sector universities.
According to the Association sources, the discrimination to private sector universities and institutes was being maintained in granting funds by the federal/ provincial and local governments, provision of land on discounted prices like the public sector universities, funding available for private sector from international sources funding through national and provincial budgets, library strengthening facilities, scholarships for the faculty, scholarships for bright students and faculty training.
In the meeting the Association will examine the criteria prescribed by HEC for grading/classifying Universities/Institutes in both the public and private sectors, the justification for creation of endowment fund by each of the universities/institutes in the private sector.
The Association has taken exception to repeated inspections, audits and investigations into the affairs of private sector universities at their cost by various personnel/teams of the provincial/ federal departments/agencies or the public sector universities.
The Association has also taken strong exception to the advertisement of HEC for parents alert and observed that it had caused panic among all sections of public, particularly to teachers, students and owners/management of private sector universities.