KU vice chancellor likely to retain job for third term

KARACHI: For the eleven applicants vying for the position of the Karachi University vice chancellor, their interviews, scheduled for January 15, may just be a formality. The incumbent Karachi University Vice Chancellor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui is set to be selected for a third term in office. He was notified by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Wednesday to continue to perform his duties ‘till further orders’.

A search committee started its proceedings in November by examining names of the candidates who had applied for the KU vice chancellor post. The incumbent VC Dr Siddiqui did not apply for the four-year tenure post then. But a controversy emerged after the scheduled interviews for the position on December 11 were deferred and Dr Siddiqui’s name was included in the search committee’s list of potential candidates.

Director of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Dr Ishrat Hussain, who is a member of the search committee, told The Express Tribune the controversy is because Dr Siddiqui did not wish to be a candidate for the post of vice chancellor and did not even apply as a candidate. “He had categorically informed the governor [chancellor of the KU] about his decision, that he does not want to accept another term,” said Dr Hussain, adding that he is not aware if Dr Siddiqui would appear for an interview on January 15. He, however, said that it is in the committee’s purview to call anyone for an interview, with or without an application.

A source told The Express Tribune that the chancellor of the university had later called in Dr Siddiqui for a personal meeting during which he was asked to continue at his position of the vice chancellor for a third consecutive term. The chancellor’s request has been approved by Dr Siddiqui. “Only then, the chancellor asked the search committee to include Dr Siddiqui’s name as a candidate to be interviewed,” the source said.

“Unfortunately, none of the 11 approved applicants for the interview are more competent than the incumbent vice chancellor,” said the source.

“It is apparent that there is an understanding between the governor and the incumbent vice chancellor on this matter and now the search committee’s interviews are mere formality,” said a senior faculty member, who is also vying for the post of vice chancellor.

Another member of the search committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that applications from incumbent vice chancellors are generally not sought by the committee and by the virtue of their position they remain in the list of potential nominees. “However, if an incumbent VC applies himself for next term, it puts the search committee in a difficult position. Rejecting any such application means reaching a difficult term with him,” said the committee member.

Meanwhile, Dr Hussain, who had apologised that he could not attend the committee’s meeting scheduled on January 15 for applicant interviews, clarified that his apology has nothing to do with Dr Siddiqui’s application. “I took a principled stand for the reason that Dr Siddiqui is also a member of the board of governors of the IBA and in this position he is superior to me,” he said, adding that he wanted to set a healthy positive tradition of avoiding conflict of interest or any implication of it. “Had Dr Siddiqui not been a potential nominee for the post of vice chancellor, I would gladly be a part of the meeting,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2012.