ISLAMABAD: Vice Chancellors of various universities on Monday highlighted that Higher Education Commission (HEC) ignored stakeholders, especially vice chancellors, while making policies regarding higher education during the last three years.

This was discussed during a consultative meeting of Vice Chancellors of Pakistan, focusing on emerging trends and challenges to higher education. The meeting was jointly arranged by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Quaid-i-Azam University at the AIOU campus.

According to a press release issued after the meeting, vice chancellors across the country participated in the meeting physically as well as online. AIOU VC Prof Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum while delivering the welcome address, thanked all guests for gathering for a noble cause and highlighted objectives of the meeting including evaluation of undergraduate and graduate policies formed by HEC in the recent past and issues in higher education.

The first session on HEC undergraduate and graduate policies was chaired by PHEC Chairman Prof Dr Fazal Ahmad Khalid and AIOU Professor Emeritus while Dr Mahmood ul Hassan was the keynote speaker. VC of University of Education Lahore, chaired the session on future of higher education and the session on technology-based governance and instructional management was chaired by the VC of University of Haripur Prof Dr Anwar-ul-Hassan Gilani. The last session, focused on information influence as a global challenge, was chaired by Prof Dr Mansoor Akber Kundi, VC, BZU Multan. Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) Chairman Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan was the chief guest.

Former HEC chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, QAU VC Prof Dr Mohammad Ali, and rector of IIUI Prof Dr Masoom Yasinzai were among the guests of honor. The meeting was concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum.

It is relevant to note here that during the last three years, Dr Tariq Banuri was chairman of HEC, who was ousted last month by the federal government after making abrupt changes to the HEC ordinance reducing the tenure of HEC from four to two years. The former HEC chairman filed a case in Sindh High Court, which did not grant him stay but directed the federal government not to make a new appointment till the next date of hearing. Since then, people have been speaking up for and against Dr Banuri with some supporting him while others criticising his policies. An online petition was started by human rights activists and academics, denouncing the government’s move of removing Dr Banuri from his post.

However, on Monday, in the consultative meeting, VCs criticised the policies of HEC saying these policies were finalised without any input of stakeholders.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2021