Best teacher award: IIUI professor forwards his own name

HEC seeks explanation from the university.

ISLAMABAD:

In a surprise move, a teacher of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), who is also head of the Quality Assurance Cell (QAC) of the university, has forwarded his own name to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the best university teacher award.

The award, initiated by the HEC in 2004 to encourage improve working efficiency of universities, is given to university teachers, after a thorough evaluation of their performance by committees in their respective universities.

Usually, the HEC asks QECs of universities to forward names of professors, to be short-listed for the award, detailing their publications at national and international level and their research work.

Interestingly, IIUI teacher, Prof Irshad Arshad of the Statistics Department, also the QEC head at the university, has allegedly forwarded his own name to the HEC for the award.

“This is a very strange that QEC head forwarded his own name without intimating other teachers to submit their credentials to university QEC,” said a professor.

Meanwhile, a group of professors from the IIUI met HEC Executive Director Mukhtar Ahmad and shared their concerns about the development. While taking cognizance of the issue, the HEC has issued a letter to the IIUI seeking explanation about the episode.

Ahmed told The Express Tribune that an explanation on the issue has been sought from the IIUI which has created unrest among teachers of the university.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2013.