FUUAST won’t restore 25 teachers as professors

KARACHI: Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) senate refused to restore the jobs of 25 teachers who were suspended from their offices as professors.

These teachers were removed from their offices and their status was reverted to that of a lecturer after it was discovered that they did not hold MPhil or Phds and were thus not qualified to teach at the university as professors.

A five-member committee, under Professor Abdul Malik, Professor Arshia Salahuddin and Karachi University vice-chancellor Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim, was formed on Friday to debate over the matter and submit its recommendations to the senate within a few days. University officials believe that the committee is likely to favour those teachers who are close to completing their education and obtaining the degrees that will allow them to teach as professors.

The authorities also rejected the recommendations of the Mushafaq Khawaja Trust for the establishment of the Mushafaq Khawaja Institute and Library after a member of the committee informed the senate that the trust had earlier approached another university with the same proposal, but had also demanded that the university refrain from interfering with the institute’s established. The FUUAST senate decided that it will not give the university’s land to any organisation.

The senate approved the appointments that were suggested to fill the vacant posts at the university and extended the job contract of an employee by one year at its 17th meeting that was held under the senate’s deputy chair, Aftab Ahmed Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2010.