LAHORE: The Punjab higher education department on Monday appointed Prof Dr Shahid Munir as the first vice chancellor of the University of Jhang.

Earlier, the HED had sent the names of the candidates for the varsity’s vice chancellor slot to the interim chief minister after interviews were conducted for the purpose by the search committee in August. But the caretaker government had halted the appointment on the directions from the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

After elections, names of the candidates were again sent to the Chief Minister Usman Buzdar who issued the direction to issue the notification.

The notification said “ ... the Governor/Chancellor has been pleased to appoint Prof Dr Shahid Munir, Director, Centre for Coal Technology, University of Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, as Vice Chancellor, University of Jhang with immediate effect, for a period of four years ...”

Prof Dr Munir is an internationally reputed scientist and researcher who attended several international conferences to present his research work. His area of research is energy and environmental engineering. He did PhD from the University of Leeds, UK. He also did MBA and masters in chemical engineering from the University of the Punjab with distinction.

VCs: Eleven public sector universities in the province are still working without regular VCs. These include the Lahore College for Women University, Women University Multan, University of Home Economics, Lahore, Information Technology University (ITU), Lahore, Punjab Tianjin University of Technology, University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, University of Narowal and University of Murree,

Meanwhile, VCs of six other public sector universities in Punjab will complete their four-year tenures during the current year. Prof Dr Naureen Aziz Qureshi of the Government College for Women University, Faisalabad and Prof Dr Farhat Saleemi of the Government College for Women University, Sialkot, are set to complete their tenures on Sept 9. Prof Dr Mohammad Ali of the Government College University, Faisalabad, Prof Dr Qaiser Mushtaq of the Islamia University Bahawalpur and Prof Dr Fazal Ahmed Khalid of the UET, Lahore.

HED Secretary Sarah Saeed told Dawn that the government was working to develop new criteria for the appointment of vice chancellors in the universities of the province and a new search committee would also be constituted to interview the candidates.

She said soon a summary in this regard would be sent to the chief minister for approval.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2018