‘Autonomy must for education sector’

Experts say Covid crisis has brought varsities closer via experience-sharing

ISLAMABAD: An independent quality assurance system is imperative for improving quality and standards in higher education sector, said University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Rector Dr Sohail Naqvi.

Besides accountability, he stressed on autonomy of the varsities in his lecture “Defining and Devising Excellence in Higher Education During and Post Covid-19 Era”.

The Inter-University Consortium for the Promotion of Social Sciences (IUCPSS), along with its partner higher education institutes, has initiated a lecture series entitled “Sharing Best Academic Practices.”

Organisations like Global Academic Leaders Academy, the National Skills University Islamabad and University of Lahore will also be partnering in this programme, a statement said on Tuesday.

Plea against online education dismissed

The lecture series has been arranged as the Higher Education Institutes worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges due to the current pandemic the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

According to Professor Naqvi, though the Covid-19 virus has posed multiple challenges in academia, at the same time, it gave opportunities for digitalising universities across the world through learning from one another’s experience, one of the best international and regional practice.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2020.