Khuhro calls for open merit admissions in varsities
Says appointments of some education boards' chairpersons delayed due to pandemic
PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Pro-vice-chancellor of universities in Sindh Nisar Ahmed Khuhro called on Saturday for the need for varsities to grant admission on the basis of open merit.
If universities have adopted open merit admission policies, why then are students required to identify themselves as residents of either Karachi or Sindh, he questioned, implying an objection to quota-based admissions.
Addressing NED University of Engineering and Technology's (NEDUET) 18th senate meeting, he further confirmed that the tenures of the chairpersons of some education boards had been extended, while the appointments of a few were deferred due to the lockdown. However, he assured that the pending appointments would soon be finalised by the search committee.
On a different note, Khuhro claimed that while acquiring higher education was getting costlier elsewhere in the world, it was not too expensive in Sindh.
"The Sindh government has worked extensively on establishing prodigious [educational] institutes," he maintained, adding that he now hoped to see the province's universities ranked among the top 100 in the world.
Acknowledging the crucial role of universities in society, Khuhro stated, "Whether it is about preparing low-cost ventilators to battle the coronavirus pandemic or making learning Mandarin mandatory following the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, universities continue to play important roles in multiple spheres."
Earlier at the meeting, NEDUET's annual accounts report for 2019-20 and the varsity's budget for 2020-21 was presented.
At the beginning of 2019, NEDUET was facing a loss of Rs188.66 million, but by the end of the fiscal year it had Rs2.04 million in surplus, NEDUET vice-chancellor Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi told the meeting.
He further said that Rs3.1 billion were released for the university for 2020-21, adding that while it was currently facing a loss of Rs179.24 million, it would overcome the shortfall by the end of the year, as it had in the previous year.
Congratulating Lodhi and his team for managing to end the past three fiscal years with surplus funds for the varsity, Khuhro praised their efforts.
Also, underlining that the Sindh Universities Amendment Act, 2018, dictated that all varsities had at least two campuses so that the pursuit of higher education could be made easier for students in all districts, he appreciated the establishment of another campus of the NEDUET.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2020.
Pro-vice-chancellor of universities in Sindh Nisar Ahmed Khuhro called on Saturday for the need for varsities to grant admission on the basis of open merit.
If universities have adopted open merit admission policies, why then are students required to identify themselves as residents of either Karachi or Sindh, he questioned, implying an objection to quota-based admissions.
Addressing NED University of Engineering and Technology's (NEDUET) 18th senate meeting, he further confirmed that the tenures of the chairpersons of some education boards had been extended, while the appointments of a few were deferred due to the lockdown. However, he assured that the pending appointments would soon be finalised by the search committee.
On a different note, Khuhro claimed that while acquiring higher education was getting costlier elsewhere in the world, it was not too expensive in Sindh.
"The Sindh government has worked extensively on establishing prodigious [educational] institutes," he maintained, adding that he now hoped to see the province's universities ranked among the top 100 in the world.
Acknowledging the crucial role of universities in society, Khuhro stated, "Whether it is about preparing low-cost ventilators to battle the coronavirus pandemic or making learning Mandarin mandatory following the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, universities continue to play important roles in multiple spheres."
Earlier at the meeting, NEDUET's annual accounts report for 2019-20 and the varsity's budget for 2020-21 was presented.
At the beginning of 2019, NEDUET was facing a loss of Rs188.66 million, but by the end of the fiscal year it had Rs2.04 million in surplus, NEDUET vice-chancellor Dr Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi told the meeting.
He further said that Rs3.1 billion were released for the university for 2020-21, adding that while it was currently facing a loss of Rs179.24 million, it would overcome the shortfall by the end of the year, as it had in the previous year.
Congratulating Lodhi and his team for managing to end the past three fiscal years with surplus funds for the varsity, Khuhro praised their efforts.
Also, underlining that the Sindh Universities Amendment Act, 2018, dictated that all varsities had at least two campuses so that the pursuit of higher education could be made easier for students in all districts, he appreciated the establishment of another campus of the NEDUET.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2020.