Students waiting to receive their degrees on the 21st convocation of NED University. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS/FILE
NED University of Engineering and Technology’s new Vice Chancellor, Dr Muhammad Afzal Haque, has made his priorities clear before he steps into office on Monday: he wants to boost the educational institution’s position in the country’s university rankings.
He will replace Engineer Abul Kalam, who remained the institution’s vice chancellor for 16 years, becoming the longest-serving vice chancellor in any of Pakistan’s public sector universities.
Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan had signed the notification for Dr Haque’s appointment on Friday. Dr Haque has confirmed that he will leave his post at the NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology in Multan to join NED University.
An alumnus of the NED University himself, Dr Haque had studied mechanical engineering and also served as a faculty member there before joining the institute in Multan. While talking to The Express Tribune, he admitted that he had very big shoes to fill. “The university has come a long way under Engineer Abul Kalam’s administration. It now expanded to 24 departments from a mere four when he joined it,” said Dr Haque. “The prestigious institution, however, struggles to attain a high ranking and that will be my top priority as the vice chancellor.”
To achieve this, Dr Haque said he will focus on research and collaboration with renowned international institutions. He also hopes to make more campuses of the university across the province so more people have easy access to education.
The selection process
Dr Haque was selected from around 15 people who had filed their applications to the search committee headed by Karachi University’s vice chancellor, Prof. Mohammad Qaiser. After interviewing eight short-listed candidates on December 9 last year, the search committee had finalised the names. After reviewing the profiles, the governor signed the notification for Dr Haque’s appointment.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2013.
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All the very best Dr Muhammad Afzal Haque. Hope you will achieve the desired goal alongwith maintaining the current discipline level of NED which certainly is a benchmark for rest of the public sector universities.