LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) deferred the recommendation of the Higher Education Department (HED) to amend university laws during a meeting on Tuesday.

The HED had proposed changes to the Universities Acts during a vice chancellors conference two days ago.

The proposal included making the chief minister or the minister for higher education the chancellor of the universities and appointing the CM, minister for higher education, and HED secretary as heads of the syndicates, removing the VCs from chairmanship. The chief minister would head the syndicate, with the minister for higher education or HED secretary stepping in during his absence.

The vice chancellors expressed concerns that the proposed amendments would curtail the role of academia in university governance while increasing executive control.

A member of the PHEC told Dawn that the meeting also discussed potential amendments to the Universities Acts but deferred the decision.

The member highlighted that the sitting chairperson of the PHEC holds an additional charge and can only manage day-to-day affairs, not strategic decisions.

Meanwhile, Dr Amjad Abbas Magsi, President of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Staff Association (FAPUASA), released a statement expressing anxiety among academia over the proposed amendments.

He criticised the government’s focus on centralising power rather than improving existing governance structures and devolving authority from HED to PHEC.

Dr. Magsi emphasised the importance of autonomy in university governance, which differentiates university education from college education.

He highlighted that public sector universities rely on government funding to provide quality education to the middle and lower-middle classes, making autonomy crucial.

He noted that university syndicates, which are statutory bodies for administration, reflect broad representation from various sectors, including faculty, public service, judiciary, public representatives, and civil society. The VC typically heads the syndicate, with government representation through administrative secretaries of finance and higher education departments.

Dr. Magsi argued that the proposal to appoint the chief minister or HED officials as heads of syndicates would undermine the current system.

He pointed out that the Senate, presided over by the chancellor (governor) and the pro-chancellor (minister for higher education), already approves the budget.

He called for the appointment of a regular chairperson for PHEC, which has been without one for the past six months, with the HED secretary holding the charge.

Dr. Magsi warned that curtailing university autonomy or increasing HED’s role would be counterproductive and announced plans to call a FAPUASA meeting to strategise, potentially including a protest movement to safeguard higher education in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2025