Comsats dual-degree programme students protest against HEC

Lahore:  The students of COMSATS Institute of Information and Technology on Monday staged a protest against Higher Education Commission Pakistan (HEC) for “creating hurdles” in obtaining their dual programme degrees.

An aspirant of COMSATS while talking to media said “Only a day before to get degrees in convocation, Higher Education Commission has taken a stay order from Lahore High Court (LHC)”.

The career of almost 2,800 students of the management sciences and engineering will be at risk if HEC will not recognize their degrees.

COMSATS University was offering 4 years bachelor’s dual degree in association along with Lancaster University.

Formerly, Lahore high court has ordered Higher Education commission as well as Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to give approval and to verify the degrees of 2,800 students issued by the university.

The aspirants as well as their parents expressed anger over the commission action commending the federal organization to resolve the issue rather than creating hurdles in it.

He moreover said that “the students are facing stress and depression as their future is at risk. Parents have paid out their life savings on the education of their children”.

Higher Education commission has taken a petition that the institution had not got the said programmes recognised from HEC. On the other hand, the university is of the view that it had completed all SOPs in this respect. The students say they will possess a series of demonstrations outside the HEC offices to press it to accept their legal demands.