Minister Education Rana Mashud chairs VC conference

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashud Ahmad Khan has said that our universities are not only institutions of degrees awarding but centers of knowledge and education. He said that vice chancellors of universities should utilize all out professional and administrative abilities for enabling educated young generation to run the country by making their institutions centers of modern but purposeful education. He said that heads of universities have been appointed only on the basis of their performance.

He expressed these views while addressing the meeting of vice chancellors of 7 public sector universities. Besides new vice chancellors of universities, Chairperson Punjab Higher Education Commission Dr. Muhammad Nizam ud Din and Additional Secretary Higher Education Department Dr. Shoaib Anwar were also present on the occasion. Rana Mashhood said that Punjab government and students have high expectations of new vice chancellors. He said that public sector universities are facing big challenges regarding faculty development, curriculum, discipline, educational policies and setting up of new campuses. He said that becoming Vice Chancellor of a university is considered great respect in education sector.

Rana Mashud Ahmad said that Punjab government is implementing the strategy of making the universities to adopt their independent policies by reducing the number of government representatives in the syndicates of Universities. He said that universities should also set up their own self accountability system. He said that Education Department is taking steps under short term, midterm and long term planning for the development of universities. The meeting stressed upon settling the matters between Federal Higher Education Commission and Provincial Department Education Commission with mutual understanding and in the light of interests of education sector.

The Minister said that there should be harmony in the charters of all the universities. He said that meetings of syndicates of the universities have been exempted from being held under the chairmanship of Provincial Education Minister and the aim of these steps is an effort to reduce government interference in the affairs of universities. Rana Mashhood directed new vice chancellors to prepare roadmap for the betterment and development of infrastructure of their institutions and present in the next meeting so that Provincial Department Higher Education should play its effective role in the promotion of education in the universities in the light of a guideline.

Vice Chancellor Government College University Lahore Dr. Hassan Aamir Shah, Vice Chancellor University of Education Lahore Prof. Dr. Rauf Azam, VC Bhauddin Zikiria University Multan Prof. Dr. Tahir Amin, VC Ghazi University DG Khan Prof. Dr. Khaleeq Ahmed, VC Government Sadiq Women University Bahawalpur Prof. Dr. Talat Afza, VC Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi Prof. Dr. Samina Amin Qadir and VC Khawaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology Rahim Yar Khan Prof. Dr. Athar Mehboob were also present on the occasion.