The Higher Education Department (HED) has shortlisted three candidates for appointment as Punjab University’s vice chancellor and sent the list to the chief minister, on Wednesday, for approval.
The three were selected from among 29 candidates interviewed by a selection committee. Included in the shortlist is a professor who has a third division in his academic career. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had recently directed the department not to appoint a vice chancellor of any to the public sector universities who had a third division in his career.
HED officials, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that acting vice chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran, Garrison University VC Dr Jamil Anwar and Punjab University’s Institute of Administrative Sciences (IAS) former head Dr Zafar Iqabl Jadoon were the shortlisted candidates.
The HED secretary Dr Ejaz Munir confirmed that a summary recommending three people had been forwarded to the chief minister’s office. However, he refused to reveal or confirm the names.
Prof Jadoon had a third division in intermediate and two second divisions; one in matriculation and the other in bachelors, an HED official said. Dr Jamil Anwar and Dr Mujahid Kamran don’t have any third division in their academic careers.
“The chief minister is expected to make a decision after he returns from Turkey. Jadoon had earlier been recommended for the appointment at Bahauddin Zakriya University (BZU),” the official said.
A senior PU faculty member, who requested anonymity said, “The CM should take action against the officials who have recommended [Jadoon’s] name. PU has a strong culture of research. The matter of appointing a VC is of great importance and merit should not be violated.”
When contacted Prof Jadoon said that the criterion for the VC was that the candidate should have a PhD. “I have a PhD from the University of Southern California. I have taught at top universities in Scotland, UK, Holland and US,” he said. Jadoon said that he had turned the department he ran into an “outstanding” one. “Instead of looking at the past, one should look to the future,” he said, adding, “Those who obsess over the past do it to malign others.”
If the chief minister approves one of the shortlisted candidates, a summary will be sent to the governor recommending the candidate. In case the chief minister has any objections, the list will be sent back to the HED.
Another HED official told The Tribune that a former dean of PU’s Social Sciences Department was also lobbying for the slot of VC.
“It is possible that the CM will send back the summary with an objection after which the department may include the name of that PU professor. The professor is supported by two of the largest groups of private colleges,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2012.
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