Zoology conference: AJK president opposes HEC devolution

A 3-day conference at AJKU organised to promote research.

MUZAFFARABAD:

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has performed “commendably” and given a lot to the youth of Pakistan, said the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Zulqarnain Khan on Wednesday.

The president termed the devolution of the commission “unfortunate”.

“[The devolution] will adversely affect the higher education sector in the country,” he said, elaborating that such a step will dissolve uniformity and also bring into question the credibility of foreign degrees in every province.

The president was speaking at a three-day Pakistan Congress of Zoology, organised by Azad Jammu and Kashmir University (AJKU).

A total of 170 research papers were presented in three joint and 17 technical sessions on the second day of the congress. Prof Dr M H Qazi, rector of the Lahore University, also received a lifetime achievement award for his services in the field of zoology.

Khan, who is also the vice chancellor (VC) of the university, said that in Pakistan, university professors are not consulted in policy making as they are in developed states. He urged the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Government to hold consultations with faculty members on different issues and to allocate funds for higher education in AJK.

He said research in Pakistan should be need-based so its outcomes may be utilised for the development of the country. “I am satisfied that efforts are being made in [AJKU] to develop a research culture and some of its departments are carrying out research of international standard,” he said.

He hoped that interaction between local students and faculty and visiting scientists will bridge the gaps in their research pursuits.

The VC said, “The real wealth of any nation is not the oil under its land, nor the mineral resources or the agriculture output, but the quality of education the masses are blessed with. The difference between developed and underdeveloped nations lies in the quality of education. We have failed as a nation to realise the importance of education.”

Khan said that construction work on King Abdullah University campuses at Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot was underway. The campus at Muzaffarabad is being built at an estimated cost of Rs5.561 billion while the campus at Rawalakot will cost Rs1.86 billion. Rs1.561 billion of this money has been pledged by the Saudi government, while the remaining amount is being given by the Government of Pakistan.

Prof Dr Muhammad Nasim Khan said that the diverse presentations of research in various fields such as biotechnology, bioinformatics, biodiversity, molecular approaches, stem cell research and human molecular genetics, have hopefully facilitated exchange of ideas and knowledge. He hoped that the congress will continue to play a significant role in promoting research culture.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2011.