PU syndicate elections: Teachers’ Front secures two of four seats

LAHORE: Mixed results came out of Punjab University Syndicate elections on the four seats for faculty, whereas the Teachers’ Front was able to clinch two of the four seats, while other two groups were able to secure a seat each.

The Punjab University held its syndicate elections on Monday for the faculty seats to elect one teacher from each of the four cadres of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and lecturer. Four groups of teachers that included Teachers’ Front, Teachers’ Front Founders Group, Academic Forum and Faculty Strengthening Forum had fielded their candidates for the syndicate elections.

For the seat of professor, Dr Sajid Rashid Ahmad, candidate of the Teachers’ Front from the College of Earth and Environmental Studies (CEES) won the elections. Similarly, Dr Mahboob Hussain also belonging to the Teachers’ Front won the seat of Associate Professor. For Assistant Professor, Javed Sami of the Teachers’ Front Founders Group secured the seat. Moreover, Abdul Majid Khan Rana from the Academic Forum secured the seat of Lecturer in the elections.

The members have been elected for a term of three years. Punjab University Syndicate is the second highest statutory body, second to the university Senate, tasked with taking important decisions and ratifying proceedings of other statutory bodies of the varsity. The syndicate, being the executive body of the university, is tasked with taking effective measures to raise standards of teaching, research and other academic activities. It is also the supervisory authority over the affairs and management of the university property.

Polling was conducted from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Waheed Shaheed Hall at the Institute of Education and Research (IER). The term of four representatives of faculty, elected through elections, on the seats of professor, associate professor, assistant professor and lecturer had expired on June 2017.

Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Zakira Zakir congratulated the newly-elected members of the Syndicate and the Academic Council. In a press statement, Dr Zakir expressed hope that the newly-elected members would play their role for improving academic environment and research standards of the university.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2018.