LAHORE: Adhering to its policy of merit and transparency, the government has appointed regular vice-chancellors in almost a dozen universities that were previously being run by the acting heads.

So there will be no compromise on the quality of education and appointments in universities.

This was stated by the chancellor of provincial universities and Governor of Punjab, Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar, last night while addressing the concluding ceremony of the Leadership and Management Program for the vice-chancellors of public-sector universities of Punjab.

The ceremony was also attended by Punjab Minister for Higher Education and Information Technology Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz and Chairman of PHEC Prof. Dr. Fazal Ahmed Khalid.

The five-day training program, which was organized by the Punjab Higher Education Commission, was attended by more than 30 vice-chancellors of public-sector universities of Punjab.

In his address, the Chancellor said that vice-chancellors were the role models for their students and faculty.

The government was committed to facilitating them in the discharge of their responsibilities smoothly.

“We have addressed the concerns of pendency regarding files of universities or vice-chancellors in Higher Education Department (HED) by formulating a policy that all files will be processed within 10 days,” the chancellor added.

“Being the chancellor of provincial universities, I have directed the bureaucracy to facilitate rather than creating hurdles for universities. Anybody who will be involved in delaying the files will be dealt with with strict disciplinary action,” he maintained.

Responding to a question, the governor said that the government had taken the initiative of gradually transferring the campuses to solar energy which was a more cost-effective source.

Talking about the Covid-19 pandemic, the governor said that Pakistan had dealt with Covid-19 better than the advanced countries of the world. The prime minister was very considerate about the poor section of society during the lockdown.

“The government has helped poor families through financial support and deserving students with Ehsaas scholarship program,” Chaudhary Sarwar said.

Expressing his concerns over proliferation of the drug menace on the campuses, the chancellor said that the role of the vice-chancellors in uprooting this menace was very crucial.

“With the help of the anti-narcotics department and the law-enforcement agencies, the government is determined to curbing drug addiction and paddling at campuses with an iron hand,” he added. Earlier, the Punjab Minister for Higher Education and Information Technology, Raja Yassir Humayun Sarfraz, in his address emphasized on quality of education, saying that qualified human resource was the foundation of socioeconomic development of a nation.

Talking about sustenance of public sector universities, the minister spelt various options out for the government including the cutting of subsidies on fees of public sector universities, sub-letting of the buildings and land of universities for private hostels, sports and extra-curricular activities under a revised model of public-private partnership.

The minister said that higher education was not a privilege, but it was for people with high caliber and intellect.

The minister further said that the government was working on automation of common admission for all universities. “An application software will soon be available which will streamline the admission process of universities,” the minister said.

He said that the government was committed to improving the quality of higher education and equipping graduates with employable and market-driven skills.

The minister said that funding to universities was being linked with improvement in their global rankings.

PHEC chairman Prof. Dr. Fazal Ahmad Khalid also spoke on the occasion, saying that the five-day training programme aimed at honing the leadership and management skills of the vice-chancellors.

He said that the programme was an opportunity for the vice-chancellors to strengthen their networks and to enable them in transforming the higher education institutions to improve academic excellence and international ranking. The five-day program covered a wide range of topics on the leadership and management domain.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020