Written by: Salman Abed

 

One of the reasons for the faults in the education system of Pakistan is the faults in the governance of the associated institutions. Because when we are in our educational system and institutions, we are monitoring important meetings, exploitation of merit, political interference, preferred decisions, rather than qualifications, important meetings, based on personal relations, rather than qualification. And the absence of the accountability system, the lack of interest of teachers in education, poor communication at the level of student ambassador or management, if they try to run the university system based on the lack of interference of bureaucracy, the chances of reform will automatically be limited. Are.

 

All the debris of the failure of the Governance of Universities cannot be put on the heads of departments or financial and administrative officers including Vice Chancellors or Pro-Vice Chancellors or Dean. Surely, there is a system of weakness, problems or transparency in many cases at their level. Universities Where there are internal defects, we need a balanced analysis at the external level, i.e. bureaucracy, ministry, government and federal or provincial higher education.

 

The government is trying to create a narrative that it is not possible for the government to run government universities or vice chancellors under a specific purpose. Some people made this narrative based on their thinking. They are also proposing that the government should run all these government universities under government public private partnership and move the system forward.

But on the contrary, the ruling class is not ready to acknowledge how much it is involved in the wrongdoings of the universities and its political interference which are affecting the issues related to the discipline of universities or governance. Who will take the responsibility. Instead of relying on Vice Chancellors or their team to run the system of these universities, we have decided to run all matters on the basis of bureaucracy or secretary higher education and where the voice chancellors themselves What treatment will be found for those who consider themselves helpless in front of the powerful bureaucracy.

 

What is the role of federal and provincial governments to remove the university system that is suffering from the most severe financial crisis. Because at the time what we are spending on higher education at the federal and provincial level on education shows that What are the priorities of higher education of the government. When we have to spend less budget on education or to show that our priorities have more problems than education, then what is the cry of problems and destruction of higher education. These are the government, government members Why the government is silent on the syndicate on the basis of political interference in universities by the Assembly and why is the government silent on the issue of university deteriorating due to their useless political interference.

 

Certainly, the system of governance in universities is possible only on the basis of transparency and leadership. Especially, if the vice chancellors of universities are on merit, they can take some big steps. But it is also ironic that the process of appointment of Vice Chancellors is within itself. It is connected with unparalleled political interventions and traditional search committees in which education experts are less and the dominance of bureaucracy is more visible. But here University of Engineering and Technology must be congratulated to UET (Lahore's Vice Chancellor Dr Shahid Munir, Dr. Shahid Muneer, who have to be congratulated. The reputation of this university has been improved in a very short time. Dr. Shahid Munir has previously been the head of Vice Chancellor of Jhang University and Punjab Higher Education Commission.

 

Recently, the Higher Education Commission reviewed the institutional level of government universities and this was done in cooperation with the World Bank titled "Development of Higher Education in Pakistan" including around 46 important and major universities and institutions. The review of the institutional framework was included in the context of institutional governance and autonomy, financial governance and autonomous, human resource Governance and autonomy, Academic Governance and Autonomy, and Research Governance and Autonomous. This important review included various methods including desktop work in which live. The visit to universities, meeting with the faculty and review it based on current documents was included. In this review report, UAT Lahore was awarded the rank of the best and responsible university at an institutional level and said that the university has autonomous and effective governance. Best performance and transparency process presented in the K system.

 

Indeed, in this achievement, Dr. Shahid Munir's leadership has an important role in the leadership of the institution, who has transformed it into a better university in a short time. The Higher Education Commission reviews the current universities at the institutional level from this type of study and such It is also hosting universities that are providing important services with better performance. This is the point where universities and their leadership can adapt their capabilities to better performance in these difficult situations and limited resources.

 

We must basically learn from the new modern model and the world's best universities system at higher education level how they have developed based on this system and to what extent they have invested financial and political level in higher education Let's do something. Because if we have to run the university system with traditional and old outdated ideas and thinking, including governmental or government interference, then the chances of improvement in this system will be limited and limited.

 

In the context of higher education, the government must review its current practices and determine the correct priorities. The development of higher education on the basis of bureaucracy is not possible and it is necessary for the government to have high level education experts and former teacher or best ex A forum of Vice Chancellors should be formed or a commission should be formed that will bring forward a major framework to improve and modernize universities based on Think Tank and finalize it with consultation of all parties. Because at the time of universities Strict reforms with transparency on the surface must be followed so that we can play a key role in restoring the educational reputation of our universities on both internal and external fronts.

 

The betterment of higher education can lead the country to the challenges facing and especially the economic crisis or to create new jobs. But if the government and universities do not understand the current situation, then it is positive in the higher education of this country. Changes will remain just a dream.