26 interviewed for PU VC post on first day

LAHORE: The first round of interviews of candidates for the post of Punjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor was held at Arfa Software Technology Park (ASTP) here Monday. Around 26 candidates were interviewed on the first day. On the second day of the first round on Tuesday (today), the VC Search Committee would interview some candidates via Skype.

Sources said the search committee had reserved 15 minutes for each candidate. However, in most cases that time limit was crossed in order to provide ample time to the candidates to share their vision for the university.

Some of the candidates who would be interviewed via Skype today (Tuesday) include Dr Masood Ashraf Raja from University of North Texas, USA, Prof Dr Muhammad Tufail and Prof Dr Muhammad Ishtiaq Qadri; both from King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia and Prof Dr Tayyab Husnain, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Punjab University.

It is pertinent to mention here that a total 101 candidates had applied for the coveted post. Sources said a total of over 40 candidates had been shortlisted while 26 of them would be interviewed in the first round. They added the scrutiny of the remaining was underway for whom a new date would be announced for interviews later. The search committee would submit a panel of three most suitable candidates to the chief minister for final appointment of one of them as the new vice-chancellor. The VC Search Committee comprised of Razzaq Dawood, CEO of an Engineering company (convener); Dr Umar Saif, VC Information Technology University (ITU), Lahore (member); Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, Chairman Accreditation Committee Punjab (member); Ms Fauzia Viqar, Chairperson Punjab Commission on Status of Women (member) and Secretary Higher Education Department (HED) Punjab as member and secretary of the committee.