Islamabad—Vice Chancellors of 71 public and 62 private sector universities through a resolution here on Thursday appealed to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari to let Higher Education Commission (HEC) to continue its function as a central coordinating body.
Addressing a news conference, members of the Vice Chancellors Committee through a resolution expressed “serious concern” over the devolution of the HEC asking the government not to devolve the HEC.
The resolution said that the HEC played an important role in providing leadership, vision and credibility to the higher education sector in the country.
The VCs highlighted pivotal role of the HEC and recalled that it was the successor to the Central Coordination and Funding Council that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto envisioned and formed in 1974.
The resolution said the World Bank’s approval for a US$300 million soft-loan along with anticipated $ 250 million USAID funding, were the recognition of the higher education development strategy of the HEC.
HEC has worked for growth of universities throughout the country.
Since its formation in 2002, the HEC has been instrumental in revolutionizing higher education due to which Pakistani degrees are recognized equal to their international counterparts, the resolution added.
Pakistani higher education graduates are welcomed by the world’s leading universities. Pakistani universities are now internationally ranked.
It said that HEC support in research grant programme, conference support, digital library programme, indigenous PhD scholarships and travel grants, have placed Pakistan firmly on the research and innovation map of the world.
To a question, Vice Chancellor, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, Imtiaz Gilani said VCs are not just criticizing this policy without any reason but “We are the main stakeholders and will be affected, if progress in higher education sector discontinued”.
“We appreciate 18th constitutional amendment as well as the process of devolution but there are certain confusions regarding what segments should be devolved or what should not.”
Such issues should be decided carefully. He said, “we have written letters to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari” in this regard,” he said.
To a question, Vice Chancellor of Peshawar University said that HEC had not itself taken the initiative of degree verification but it was in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court.
VC University of Gujrat Dr Nizamuddin said that HEC was not part of federal education ministry being devolved.
Meanwhile, most of Pakistan’s political parties have expressed their resentment over government decision to devolve the HEC. PML (N), PML(Q) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are in the forefront to oppose the move.
Spokesman of PTI, Zahid Hussain Kazmi in a statement in Islamabad said the HEC was under attack by those who sneaked in the National Assembly on the basis of fake degrees. He warned the government that the PTI would stage mass protests if the decision to devolve HEC was not withdrawn. Its interesting to note that public opinion in Pakistan is not even in favour of devolution of federal education ministry and move to devolve the HEC adds oil to the fire.
Addressing a news conference, members of the Vice Chancellors Committee through a resolution expressed “serious concern” over the devolution of the HEC asking the government not to devolve the HEC.
The resolution said that the HEC played an important role in providing leadership, vision and credibility to the higher education sector in the country.
The VCs highlighted pivotal role of the HEC and recalled that it was the successor to the Central Coordination and Funding Council that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto envisioned and formed in 1974.
The resolution said the World Bank’s approval for a US$300 million soft-loan along with anticipated $ 250 million USAID funding, were the recognition of the higher education development strategy of the HEC.
HEC has worked for growth of universities throughout the country.
Since its formation in 2002, the HEC has been instrumental in revolutionizing higher education due to which Pakistani degrees are recognized equal to their international counterparts, the resolution added.
Pakistani higher education graduates are welcomed by the world’s leading universities. Pakistani universities are now internationally ranked.
It said that HEC support in research grant programme, conference support, digital library programme, indigenous PhD scholarships and travel grants, have placed Pakistan firmly on the research and innovation map of the world.
To a question, Vice Chancellor, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, Imtiaz Gilani said VCs are not just criticizing this policy without any reason but “We are the main stakeholders and will be affected, if progress in higher education sector discontinued”.
“We appreciate 18th constitutional amendment as well as the process of devolution but there are certain confusions regarding what segments should be devolved or what should not.”
Such issues should be decided carefully. He said, “we have written letters to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari” in this regard,” he said.
To a question, Vice Chancellor of Peshawar University said that HEC had not itself taken the initiative of degree verification but it was in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court.
VC University of Gujrat Dr Nizamuddin said that HEC was not part of federal education ministry being devolved.
Meanwhile, most of Pakistan’s political parties have expressed their resentment over government decision to devolve the HEC. PML (N), PML(Q) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are in the forefront to oppose the move.
Spokesman of PTI, Zahid Hussain Kazmi in a statement in Islamabad said the HEC was under attack by those who sneaked in the National Assembly on the basis of fake degrees. He warned the government that the PTI would stage mass protests if the decision to devolve HEC was not withdrawn. Its interesting to note that public opinion in Pakistan is not even in favour of devolution of federal education ministry and move to devolve the HEC adds oil to the fire.
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