Fit for the role: Eased criteria opens door to potential VCs

Academics who first opposed amendment to universities act now support it

PESHAWAR:

To fill the long vacant posts of permanent vice chancellors for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s universities, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government has relaxed the criteria for candidates.

In May 2015, the provincial assembly amended the K-P Universities Act, 2012 and aimed to reform the education sector. As a result, the requirements for the vice chancellor post were eased.

According to the K-P Universities (Amendment) Act 2015, a vice chancellor needed a PhD and a minimum of 40 research publications in peer-reviewed international research journals.

However, not a single educationist across the province met the eligibility requirements and the slot for vice chancellors of seven existing and two new universities lay vacant.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) K-P President Fazali Nasir said the 2015 legislation had eased the eligibility requirements.

He said academics opposed the set criteria at the time and protested against the government amendment.

Nasir recalled that the government was not even willing to negotiate with them at the time. But soon the government realised there were few people who fulfilled the requirements in K-P.

He added seven universities, including Gomal University in DI Khan, Hazara University in Mansehra, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Islamia College University Peshawar, Swat University, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Women University Swabi and University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar were without permanent vice chancellors.

The FAPUASA president said the vice chancellors of these institutes had retired and there was no one to step into  their shoes. He added the government brought some changes to the act and relaxed some of the conditions.

He recalled that on February 8, the governor, who is also the chancellor of all universities, signed the new amendment.

The K-P Higher Education, Archives and Library Department also advertised vice chancellor posts for nine universities. These included Gomal University, Hazara University, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Islamia College University Peshawar, Swat University, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Women University Swabi and University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Shuhada-e-Army Public School University Nowshera and Women University Mardan.

According to the amendment, the candidate for the post of vice chancellor should be a PhD in any discipline with 15 years of experience. Of the total, five years must be administrative or post-doctorial research experience.

In addition, they are required to have 15 publications under their belt with no restriction on the impact factor. The candidates also required experience in organising seminars and needed one completed major research project to apply for the posts.

Nasir said there were thousands of experts who could meet the criteria. He said there was an Academic Search Committee that has the capability to select suitable candidates as vice chancellors if there was no interference from the government.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said the government had amended the 2015 legislation and relaxed the criteria.

He confirmed that vacancies for nine vice chancellors had been advertised in the newspapers on March 8, 2015. He assured the Academic Search Committee was fully authorised to search for highly qualified and capable candidates. The adviser said the government wanted to appoint those with leadership qualities. Ghani was confident the selection of these people would improve the quality of education.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2016.