Inside QAU: Vice-chancellor demands enhanced budget

Dr Ahmad says university will soon start criminology classes.

ISLAMABAD:

The acting Vice-Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has called for a hike in the budget allocation for the university to cover the cost of overhauling existing infrastructure.     

In an interview on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor Dr Eatzaz Ahmad said that the university needed more money to carry out several projects, including an alternative energy project to help address frequent power outages that are taking their toll on the overall performance of the university.

Dr Ahmad said that the university got 30 per cent less than its allocation for the current year. The acting VC said the university plans to start criminology classes and a proposal for this will soon be forwarded to the Higher Education Commission for approval.

While taking about the National Testing Service requirement for MPhil and PhD in the light of a Lahore High Court verdict, he said the university has not yet received any instruction from the authorities. He said, however, that the Advanced Studies and Research Board of QAU will take a decision on the issue.

He also called for enhancing the education budget from the current two per cent to five per cent in the next five years to bring improvements at all levels.

Answering a question, Dr Ahmad said that the university provided scholarships worth Rs88 million to 4,000 students in the year 2012-13.

While talking about the shortage of buses and hostels, the acting VC said that the university has recently purchased two new buses and has also requested more buses from the OGDCL.

He said that a hostel building to accommodate 300 female students was under-construction and would be functional from January 2015.

Dr Eatzaz said that it was high time for a debate on the national education policy which involves all stakeholders.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2014.