HED banned 18 private universities from admissions

Lahore: Higher Education Department (HED), Punjab on Friday banned the 18 private sector universities as well as degree awarding institutes across the province from providing admission to any student in their unapproved and unauthorized programmes.

Accoridng to the sources of higher education department these private sector higher education institutions (HEIs) had either not got the approval of Chancellor to offer specific programmes or authorization from any regulatory and registration bodies like Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) etc.

Furthermore, some of these varsities had also opened sub-campuses without any approval.

In individual letters to every university and degree awarding institute, Punjab higher education department ordered these educational institutes to send requests for authorization again or for the regularization of unauthorized programs or of sub-campuses to Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) before September 26^th, 2017.

HED also asked these educational institutes to meet the lacks which are already highlighted Punjab Higher Education commission within their own interest.

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HED furthermore asked private sector educational institutes to follow the rules as well as the processes to safe the future of students.

As per the received documents, following universities and degree awarding institutes have following programmes, faculties, departments and programmes as unauthorized.

University of Central Punjab (UCP):

o   Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, BS Psychology, MS Psychology, PhD Psychology, Faculty of Sciences: BS Zoology, BS Botany, BS Chemistry, BS Mathematics, BS Physics and BS Statistics.

o   Faculty of Life Sciences: Departments of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology along with the issue of illegal sub-campuses, affiliations and ADP programme.

University of Management & Technology (UMT), Lahore:

o   School of Architecture and Planning: BS Architecture (Fall only), BS City and Regional Planning.

o   School of Health Sciences: Doctor of Physiotherapy, Doctor of Nutrition Sciences, BS Medical Laboratory Sciences, NS Medical Imaging and Ultrasonography.

o    School of Food and Agricultural Sciences: BS Food Technology, BS Dairy Technology, BS Integrated Agriculture Management.

o   Institute of Aviation Studies: BS Aviation Management, BS Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology with EASA part 66 Licence (B3 and B1.2) affiliated with Germany.

o    Institute of Islamic Banking: BS Islamic Banking and Finance, School of System & Technology.

University of Faisalabad:

Faculty of Engineering & Technology: BS Interior Design, BS Engineering Technology.

o   Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Department of Pharmacy), Faculty of Medicine & Allied health sciences: Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Health and Sports management, Doctor of Forensic Science, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Optometry, Nutrition & Diabetics, Nursing, Radiology & Ultrasonography, Community Medicine, Pathology, basic Health Sciences and Dental Sciences.

o   Global Institute: Department of Technology Management: Bachelors in Civil Technology Management, Bachelors in Electrical Technology Management, Bachelors in Mechanical Technology Management, Bachelors in Electronics Technology Management B.Tech (Hons)—Civil, Electrical, mechanical and Electronics, B.Tech (Pass)—Civil, Electrical, mechanical and Electronics, Department of ICT Management, BS IT Management, BSCS Management, MCS, MIT, MIS

National College of Business Administration & Economics:

o   Programmes in Psychology, Sociology, Islamic Studies, Urdu, History, Political Sciences, Mass Communication, Geography, Law, English, technology & Education and MSc Environmental Management

HITEC University, Taxila:

o   Department of Computer Science and Engineering: BS & MS Computer Science.

Imperial College of Business Studies:

o   Faculty of Health & Allied Sciences: BSc Medical Ultrasound Technology, BS Virology & Immunology, BS Molecular Pathology, Post Professional Doctor of Optometry and Transitional Doctor of Optometry.

o   Architecture, Art & Design: Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting, Sculpture, Miniature), Bachelor of Fashion Design, Bachelor of Textile Design, Bachelor of Interior Architecture, Bachelor of Product Design and BS English.

o   Faculty of Art, Social Sciences and Humanities: Department of Management Sciences, Economics, Accounting & Finance, English, Urdu, Islamic Studies, Pak Studies, Law, Aviation Management, Technology Programmes, Media Studies and Biological Sciences programmes.

Hajvery University:

o   Film, TV, Advertising & Media Studies: MSc Media Studies, BSs (Hons); Engineering: BS (Hons) 4-year Electronics/Telecom, BS-Tech (Hons) 4-year in Electrical/Civil and Telecom.

o   Pharmacy: MPhil leading to PhD Pharmacy, including Specialisation Pharmacology-Pharmaceutics. Health Sciences: MPhil leading to PhD, Physiotherapy and DPT (Doctor of Physiotherapy)

University of Wah, Wah Cantt:

o   Civil, Chemical and MS Engineering Programmes, all Technology Programmes and Accounting and Finance Programme

Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan:

o   Faculty of Social Sciences: Departments of Islamic Studies and Urdu.

Faculty of Engineering & Applied Technology:

o   Department of Engineering & Technology, Computer Sciences & Information Technology, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

o   International Relations: BA/BSc 2 Years

University of Lahore:

o   Faculty of Engineering & Technology: Departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Electrical Systems and Technology

o   Establishment of Faculty of Law: Institute of Law/Law College

o   Faculty of Allied Health Sciences: Departments of Health Professional Technologies, Sports Sciences, Nursing, Radiological Sciences and Medical Imaging Technology, Optometry & Vision Sciences, University Institute of Physical Therapy, University Institute of Public Health, Diet & Nutritional Sciences and University Institute of Clinical Lab technology and Doctor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (DLMS)

o   Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry: MBBS and BDS

o   Establishment of Faculty of Arts & Architecture: Department of Architecture and School of Creative Arts.

o   Faculty of Pharmacy: Addition of Departments in Faculty of Management Sciences, including Lahore Business School, Lahore School of Management, Lahore School of Aviation ad Lahore School of Accounting & Finance long with the authorization issue of sub-campuses in different cities of the Punjab, including Islamabad

Superior Colleges:

o   Faculty of Allied Health Sciences: Doctor of Physical Therapy, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Imaging Technology, Optometry, Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences, BS Programmes in Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Molecular Biology and & Biotechnology

o   Faculty of Pharmacy (Pharm-D)

o   Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities: Masters in Mass Communication Management and BS (Hons) Mass Communication Management.   

o   Faculty of Medical, Faculty of Engineering & Technology: BSc Computer Engineering, BS Avionics Engineering, BS Electrical System and BS Engineering Technology, PhD Electrical Engineering, MS Electrical Engineering

o   Department of Applied Physics: BS Computational Physics, BS Medical Physics, BS Engineering Physics, BS Electronics & Information System, NUR International University, Lahore: Faculty of Applied Sciences: BS Applied Psychology, BS Animal Sciences, BS Speech & Language Therapy, BS Medical Lab Technology and Doctor of Physical Therapy.

o   Faculty of Basic Sciences: BS Biotechnology, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences: BS Economics with specialisation tracks in Development & Economics.

University of South Asia, Lahore: Faculty of Engineering & Technology:

o   Bachelors of Civil Engineering, Bachelors of Electrical Engineering

o   Faculty of Life & Health Sciences: Departments of Physiotherapy and Department of Food & Nutrition Sciences.

o   Faculty of Biological Sciences/Life Sciences: Departments of Biotechnology, Biotechnology & Agro Sciences, Microbiology, Environmental Sciences, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Biochemistry and Microbiology.

o   Faculty of Management Sciences: Department of Human Resource

o   Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Departments of Public relations, Musicology, Languages, Language & Literature, English, Urdu and Fashion & Design.

o   Faculty of Art and Fashion Design: Department of Fashion and Design, LLM Programme, Department of Pharmacy.

Minhaj University, Lahore:

o   Faculty of Engineering and Technology: Department of Chemical Engineering; Faculty of Law, Faculty of Computer Sciences & Information Technology: Department of Software Engineering; Faculty of Commerce and Management Sciences

o   Department of Islamic Economics Banking & Finance.

o   Faculty of Basic Sciences & Mathematics: Departments of Botany, Zoology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Food & Nutrition; Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities: Departments of International Relations, Mass Communication, Education, Library and Criminal Justice System, Behavioral Sciences, Peace and Counter Terrorism, Religions and Philosophy, Sociology and Applied Psychology.

Lahore Leads University: BS Software Engineering, BS Islamic Finance, BS Mathematics, MSc Mathematics, MS/MPhil Mathematics, BS Sports Sciences & Physical Education, Master in Sports & Physical Education (16 years), BA. LLB (5 Years), Pharm-D (Collaborative programme with UVAS) and all technology programmes.

Beaconhouse National University (BNU):

o   BBA programme

Lahore Garrison University (LGU):

Departments of Biology, Zoology, Geography, Statistics, Mass Communication, Islamic Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Education, Home Economics, Management Sciences, Commerce and Economics, Urdu and Computer Sciences and Software Engineering. BS programmes, including Environmental Sciences, Microbiology, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology and MS/MPhil programmes in Microbiology and Zoology.

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When the sources contacted the Additional Secretary (Academics) of higher education department Dr Shoaib, he said that aspirants suffered a lot when they got admissions in unrecognized and unapproved programmes and the recent move was targeted to secure the future of aspirants.

He furthermore added that the private educational could only offer admissions in the abovementioned unauthorized programs only once all formalities were met and authorizations were granted from the related authorities. 

On the other hand, large numbers of private sector educational institutes have reacted to the latest notification of HEC Punjab where the department had restricted 18 educational institutes from offering admissions in unrecognized programmes noticing that the notification was ill-timed.

In a letter to the secretary of HED,  Nabeel Awan, the Chancellor of University of Lahore (UoL) Dr Mujahid Kamran while talk about the meeting of Vice Chancellors/Chancellors of private sector educational institutes along with the HED Secretary as well as the chairperson of PHEC on September 14^th, 2017 Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin, said the minutes of the abovementioned meeting were never spread among the partakers of the meeting and that’s why the issuance of the notification was ‘contrary to standard practice’.

In his letter, Dr kamran stated that according to the meeting it was obvious that the approval of the Backer that is the Governor Punjab for the current programmes will be get in four to six weeks and only then, if any programmes were not granted authorization from the government, will an intervention be required.

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He furthermore added that the chairperson of Punjab Higher Education commission, who wished to permit the programmes to continue until the approval of the Backer is got, was not look up and preserved in the loop.

Dr Kamran requested the Secretary of HED to either take away the notification or at least modify the same in the spirit of, what he called, the understanding arrived at in the meeting held on September 14^th, 2017 where it was visibly agreed that the higher education department will assist in obtaining the authorization of requests for different programmes in a time period of four to six weeks.

Meanwhile according to a press release, the University of Management & Technology (UMT) held a meeting attended by Rector Dr Muhammad Aslam, Director General Abid HK Shirwani, other officials concerned to discuss the issue.

Furthermore, the chancellor of UMT said that all the degree programmes of UMT from business to engineering, computer sciences, and architecture etc. as well as their syllabus were officially approved by all professional bodies.