‘HEC ignores VCs in higher education policy making’

Islamabad : The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) did not take all stakeholders, especially vice chancellors of universities, on board while making policies regarding higher education during the last two or three years, remarked speakers at the consultative meeting of Vice Chancellors of Pakistan on ‘Emerging Trends and Challenges of Higher Education.’

The meeting was jointly arranged by Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and Quaid-i-Azam University at the main campus of AIOU. Vice Chancellors across the country participated in the meeting physically as well as online. VC, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum while delivering a welcome address, thanked all the worthy guests to gather for a noble cause and highlighted the objectives of the meeting.

Meeting was arranged to discuss and evaluate the undergraduate and graduate policies formed by HEC in the recent past and issues in higher education, consisted of four thematic sessions.

The first session on HEC Undergraduate and Graduate Policies was chaired by Chairman PHEC, Prof. Dr. Fazal Ahmad Khalid, and Professor Emeritus AIOU, Dr. Mahmood ul Hassan was the keynote speaker.

VC, University of Education, Lahore, chaired the session on ‘Future of Higher Education.’ Session on ‘Technology Based Governance and Instructional Management’ was chaired by VC, University of Haripur, Prof. Dr. Anwar-ul-Hassan Gilani. The last session was conducted on ‘Information Influence as a Global Challenge,’ 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. Whereas, former chairman HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, VC, QAU, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, and rector, IIU, Islamabad, Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai were among the guests of honor. Meeting was concluded with the vote of thanks by Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum.