Sindh mulls raising university professors' retirement age to 65

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah has called for discouraging non-teaching recruitment at public universities to ease their mounting financial burden, as vice chancellors warned that private institutions were poaching experienced faculty with better salary packages.

The concerns were raised at a meeting chaired by Shah with VCs of 32 public universities across the province to review their financial and administrative challenges, academic standards, research activities, infrastructure and student facilities.

The meeting was attended by the chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC), the secretary of universities and boards, VCs and other relevant officials.

Shah acknowledged the challenges facing public universities and said the provincial government wanted to work with university administrations to find practical solutions. He said the government was providing Rs44.46 billion in grants to Sindh's universities during the current financial year.

Pension liabilities, he said, had emerged as a major challenge for universities, prompting him to call for curtailing unnecessary recruitment, particularly in non-faculty positions, to reduce the financial burden.

The chief secretary said recommendations concerning university syndicates would be placed before the provincial cabinet. He added that the government would consider including people with backgrounds in education and higher education in university syndicates.

He also stressed the need to engage university alumni more effectively in institutional development and encouraged VCs to submit research proposals to the government for possible financial support.

While universities were undertaking research, Shah said, their findings needed proper accreditation and stronger links with industry to translate academic work into practical benefits. He urged institutions to establish closer ties with international universities and promote industry-oriented research.

On the establishment of new campuses, the chief secretary called for comprehensive research and feasibility studies before approving such projects. Universities should assess the potential student population and develop clear policy guidelines and benchmarks to ensure that new campuses were academically justified and financially sustainable, he said.

Shah also called for reducing electricity costs through solarisation and said a solarisation plan would be introduced for universities. He directed institutions to eliminate illegal electricity connections.

The chief secretary further said a summary proposing an increase in the retirement age of university professors from 60 to 65 years would be sent to the provincial cabinet. The government would also approach the federal authorities to address issues falling within their jurisdiction.

During the meeting, VCs highlighted the difficulties of retaining qualified and experienced faculty amid competition from private universities offering higher salaries.

They said the departure of teachers to foreign countries, coupled with the reluctance of some to return or their efforts to seek overseas opportunities again after returning, was disrupting faculty availability and continuity.

The VCs also cited pension liabilities and hefty electricity bills as major contributors to their financial strain, alongside shortages of faculty and other human resource challenges.