HED finalises VC search committee candidates

Names for six out of eight search committees sent for approval

LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) has finalised and forwarded the names of search committee members for six of the eight public universities of the province where vice chancellors are to appointed, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The finalised names will have to be approved by the cabinet committee formed to appoint vice chancellors. The committee, which was formed on the orders of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will approve the names after which advertisements for each university will be published, inviting candidates to apply for vacant positions.

The six universities for which the names have been finalised included the Punjab University, University of Home Economics, Women University Multan, University of Sahiwal, University of Jhang and Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan. The other two universities where the search committee are to be finalised are the University of Okara and Information Technology University (ITU).

HED Secretary Nabeel Awan, when contacted, said that the committees were yet to be approved by the cabinet committee on legislation. He said that the department had moved the cases of the six varsities to the cabinet committee, which would make the final decision.

The cabinet committee includes seven members with Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani as the convener of the committee, while the chief secretary is the co-convener.

Other members of the committee included law and parliamentary affairs department secretary, planning and development department secretary, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairperson Dr Muhammad Nizamuddin and the HED Secretary who is also the secretary of the committee.

A total of 12 names for search committee members were proposed by the PHEC for each varsity and forwarded to the CM Secretariat through the HED.

The final search committee for each university would consist of three to five members. The search committees will vet candidates after potentials apply for the posts. This can only take place after the Punjab government floats advertisements for the vacant positions.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2017.