‘Whistleblowing vital in higher education’

Experts say practice helps protect public interest, curbs unethical behaviour

ISLAMABAD:

Whistleblowing in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is vital to protect public interest, curb unethical practices at various levels, improve the overall standards of higher education and create the best learning environment for the students and teachers.

Experts from prominent national and international academic institutions shared these views at an international conference on the contemporary issues and challenges of ‘Whistle Blowing in HEIs,’ organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) the other day.

Speaking to participants attending the conference, IQRA University Karachi’s Dr Fatima Dar said that social integrity in HEIs should be upheld by everyone. There should be a proper mechanism in place at the institutional level to ensure accountability, she said.

Highlighting the issue of legal covers and legal support to whistleblowers, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Razia Sultana chimed, “No mechanism exists in our institutions to provide such support to whistle-blowers.” She suggested that this discussion should be taken to the parliament, in addition to highlighting the importance of the topic in the overall journey to improve HEIs.

Further, SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that whistleblowing was the apparatus to reach the end goal of SDG compliance.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2022.