HEC warns universities for strict action against rules violation

Lahore: The chairperson of Higher Education Commission Mukhtar Ahmed on Monday warned against launching degree programmes and opening sub-campuses without the authorization of commission. He furthermore said that the violators would be dealt according to the rules of commission.

He was addressing at the start of a 3-day meeting of vice chancellors Committee. Chairperson of HEC look over the performance of universities over the last year as well as the challenges faced by university administrations.

Mukhtar Ahmed told the gathering of over 120 heads of government and private universities of Pakistan that quality of higher education should top their plan. He also said that presently the commission had a budget of almost Rs80 billion compared to Rs35 billion in 2010-2011.

Read More: HEC issues list of Degree awarding institutes and Universities in Pakistan 

“Though the funding for higher education has remarkably increased but it is still low as compared to many developing states” he added.

He also admired the government for its unremitting support in education sector. While addressing, he also said “It is now our responsibility to make sure that higher educational institutes are contributing in the social-economic growth of the country”.

Turning up to the private educational institutes, he said that education had become a business at international level however commercialization should not be done at the cost of good quality education.

“I am humbly requesting you to not to compromise on the main factors of education. If you do so, then you will put in danger the future of thousands of youths” he added.

In his address, he also spoke regarding the rising number of sub-campuses, and universities launching MPhil and PhD programmes without meeting the required criteria.

He said “Action will be taken against the educational institutes found violating the rules”.

Ahmed said that for many years the commission had considerably increased the budget for research.

Read More: NA authorities orders HEC to close universities’ sub-campuses

He asked the principals of university to take all-possible measures for encouraging research and provide resources for the purpose. Further he asked them to act against plagiarism. The chairman asked the vice chancellors of varsities to carefully review security on the campuses.

In the end, he highlighted the different continuing and forthcoming projects in higher education, comprising of the establishment of technical universities; grant of scholarships under US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor; establishment of centres of quality in water, energy, food security and climate change; establishment of technology parks; national and international relationships for the development of human resources in different fields.