Lockdown at NUML
Students demand reduction in MBA course duration, 'female students were made hostage for almost five hours'.
ISLAMABAD:
MBA students of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) locked the university gates in protest on Monday. They were demanding that the duration of their course be reduced to two years (from the current duration of three and a half years).
The protestors did not allow buses carrying female students to leave the university from 1 pm to 5 pm.
The university administration had to hire private vans to send the female students home.
Dr Aziz Ahmed Khan, rector of the university said, “The MBA course spanning three and a half years was started in 2009 on the specific instructions of Higher Education Commission (HEC), students are demanding that we cut it short and issue them degrees right now.”
Khan said that all students had been informed about the implementation of HEC’s directions. He added that students had been given the option to opt out of the programme, and that 50 students had done so. They had been given full refunds.
“The protesting students belong to the group that had opted for three and a half years in the beginning,” he maintained.
“We have to honour the HEC’s directives, and these students have only been taught half of the curriculum. They still need to study another 18 months before they can earn the degree,” he said.
The Dean of the Faculty Dr Rasheed Ahmed Khan had visited the HEC two days ago and was firm on following the given road map.
The rector said that management would take due action against the protesting students and write to the All Pakistan University Teachers Association about how particular unions were instigating the students.
“The female students were made hostage for almost five hours. This is unacceptable behaviour,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2010.
MBA students of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) locked the university gates in protest on Monday. They were demanding that the duration of their course be reduced to two years (from the current duration of three and a half years).
The protestors did not allow buses carrying female students to leave the university from 1 pm to 5 pm.
The university administration had to hire private vans to send the female students home.
Dr Aziz Ahmed Khan, rector of the university said, “The MBA course spanning three and a half years was started in 2009 on the specific instructions of Higher Education Commission (HEC), students are demanding that we cut it short and issue them degrees right now.”
Khan said that all students had been informed about the implementation of HEC’s directions. He added that students had been given the option to opt out of the programme, and that 50 students had done so. They had been given full refunds.
“The protesting students belong to the group that had opted for three and a half years in the beginning,” he maintained.
“We have to honour the HEC’s directives, and these students have only been taught half of the curriculum. They still need to study another 18 months before they can earn the degree,” he said.
The Dean of the Faculty Dr Rasheed Ahmed Khan had visited the HEC two days ago and was firm on following the given road map.
The rector said that management would take due action against the protesting students and write to the All Pakistan University Teachers Association about how particular unions were instigating the students.
“The female students were made hostage for almost five hours. This is unacceptable behaviour,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2010.