GUJRAT: As the admission season for the fall semester has kicked off, the public universities in central Punjab, including those in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin and Sargodha, continue to offer traditional, outdated degree programmes instead of cutting-edge programmes according to the need of the contemporary world.

Concerned at the situation, senior academicians have emphasized the need of introducing new courses, keeping in view the market requirements.

The public universities are struggling to compete with private universities that offer cutting-edge programmes in the new fields like cyber security, artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies, robotics and food sciences, says a senior academician from the University of Gujrat (UoG). The young generation is drawn to the disciplines that align with international market trends like the AI that have revolutionised medicine, education, agriculture and defense, he adds.

The stark contrast between public and private universities in central Punjab highlights the urgent need for public institutions to modernise their curricula, the senior academician stresses. He suggests that without adapting to the evolving educational landscape, the public universities risk being left behind by others.

However, there is some development as well. In a move to address this gap, the UoG has received approval from its Faculty Board of Engineering and Technology to establish the Institute of Electrical Vehicle Technology (IEVT). This new initiative aims at catering to the industrial shift from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, addressing environmental concerns. Besides, the UoG has already established a sub-campus in Mandi Bahauddin to meet regional educational needs.

Talking to Dawn, UoG Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Mushahid Anwar admits that public universities lag behind the private sector in launching the new courses and departments. He has termed the red tape a major hurdle to launching the new courses unlike the private sector that doesn’t have to get approvals while a number of approvals required for the public sector universities.

Mr Anwar says the UoG has recently got approval from the board of studies to launch the computer technology’s programme in the engineering department while there is a proposal to initiate courses of AI and Cyber Security.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024