Islamabad (TDI): The Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan has strongly opposed the Sindh government’s decision of appointing bureaucrats as vice chancellors (VCs) of public sector universities in the province.
In a letter addressed to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed termed such a move harmful to academic integrity.
He urged the Sindh government to abandon plans for amending the Sindh Universities and Institutes Laws Act, 2018, to facilitate such changes.
Dr Ahmed expressed serious concern over reports of proposed legislative amendments that would change the criteria for appointing VCs and rectors in public universities across the province.
The proposed changes, if enacted, would allow non-PhD holders to be eligible for these key academic posts, a move that the HEC warns will harm the academic standards of higher education institutions.
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Appointing non-academic administrators to post traditionally reserved for academicians could undermine academic freedom, stifle critical thinking, and set a harmful precedent for other provinces, the letter noted.
“Such decisions will have far-reaching effects for the quality and autonomy of higher education.”
Citing the Council of Common Interests (CCI) decision of April 7, 2021, the letter reminds the Sindh administration that the HEC is recognised as the sole national standard-setting body for higher education in the country.
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The CCI resolution reinforced the need for the HEC to oversee and maintain uniformity in higher education policies countrywide.
