Call for research in varsities

LAHORE: Former Vice Chancellors (VCs) of Punjab University and academicians have called upon the need to promote research culture and stressed hiring of quality faculty members purely on merit.

Sharing their views in a meeting at committee room of PU Vice Chancellor’s office here on Thursday, they also said universities must be free from any political influence for ensuring merit and transparency in all academic matters. Former PU VC, education minister and former chairman University Grant Commission Sheikh Imtiaz Ali, other former VCs including Khalid Hameed Sheikh, Arshad Mahmood, Prof Afzal Baig, Prof Arif Butt, Prof Zakria Zakar, Prof Nasira Jabeen, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad Akhtar and deans of various faculties were present on the occasion.

The VCs said the research at universities must have socio-economic impact. They said the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation set up at all universities must be made truly functional so that industry-academia linkages could be strengthened. They said today was the era of knowledge economy and we could not survive without paying due attention to education sector. They said no compromise should be made over appointment of quality teachers as they were backbone in improving ranking and academic standard of the university. They said PU was the mother institution and it must lead in all academic affairs and policies at national and provincial level. They said MPhil and PhD programmes must be strengthened and the students must be motivated to produce research with socio-economic impact. They said there should be school of social sciences to give solution to social problems. They said interdisciplinary research should be promoted as this was an emerging trend in modern world. They said special attention should be given to produce skilled and quality graduates to cater to the needs of industry and faculty members should also focus on building their character. They congratulated PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad on 39 times improvement in PU’s ranking in Asia and organising meetings of all statutory bodies for smooth functioning of the university. Prof Niaz Ahmad thanked the former VCs for their suggestions and said PU administration would strictly ensure rule of law in all academic affairs.

Meanwhile, addressing a seminar on World Quality Day organised by PU’s Institute of Quality and Technology Management, Prof Niaz Ahmad said the nations and institutions who compromised on quality were replaced and ‘we could not survive at international level without ensuring quality in all sectors’. Institute of Quality and Technology Management’s Director Dr Usman Awan, faculty members and a large number of students were present on the occasion.

Addressing the ceremony, the VC said: “We must ensure quality of services in services sector and quality of product in manufacturing sector.”