Three names short-listed for FUU VC

Sindh left out of the race in short-listing done through voting

KARACHI:

The Senate of the Federal Urdu University (FUU) has short-listed three names for the slot of vice chancellor of the varsity through a voting mechanism.

The three names, forwarded to President Dr Arif Alvi, who is also the chancellor of the university, are: Dr Bakht Jahan, Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, and Dr Zaabta Khan Shinwari, respectively the first, second, and third choices. Sindh is left out of the race in short listing done through voting.

The names were short-listed during a meeting of university senate chaired by Chancellor Alvi at the Presidency in Islamabad. All members of the senate reached a consensus on the first two names, Dr Bakht Jahan and Dr Muhammad Ali Shah.

However, opinions were divided on the third candidate. Some members proposed Dr Athar Mehboob, but after extensive discussion and a voting process, Dr Zaabta Khan's name was included as the third candidate. The president did not participate in the voting process.

A senate member who attended the meeting informed The Express Tribune that during deliberations on the selection board for lecturers and assistant professors, some senators expressed concerns about the lack of sharing the inquiry report on which the board's formation was based.

Read: FUUAST entangled in financial quandary

Chancellor Alvi expressed his displeasure in response. Subsequently, a decision was made to maintain the current selection board. The new VC will have the authority to decide within six months of appointment whether to retain or dissolve the board and form a new one.

The Senate meeting did not address the university's financial crisis, leaving the resolution of this issue to the incoming VC. The Express Tribune reached out to VC candidate Dr Bakht Jahan for his plans to address the financial crisis.

He said that he intended to collaborate with stakeholders and make decisions in consultation with them. He emphasised the importance of stakeholders owning the rule of law and the university. When asked about his approach, he said, "I will adhere to the law, and I need to familiarise myself with its contents."

Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, another candidate for the VC position, commented on strategies to resolve the financial crisis. He acknowledged that financial challenges are not unique and outlined a plan to increase resources, control expenses, and seek support from the public and private sectors.

Regarding the transfer of the principal seat, he said that, if appointed, he would continue to travel between Karachi and Islamabad as the university has campuses in both cities, making it impractical to stay in one location.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st 2024.