LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Gillani has vowed to raise standard of public sector universities and asked vice chancellors to play their role in raising standard of education.
In this connection, the minister had a meeting with vice chancellors of public sector varsities here on Monday at the Government College University (GCU) Lahore. Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Dr Nizamuddin, Higher Education Department officials were also present.
The meeting reviewed in detail the various features of public sector universities, including the state of academics, future vision, financial and administrative position and available research facilities, being imparted to the students. Gillani directed the vice chancellors to improve the standards of varsity according to the international standards so that universities of Punjab could be included among world’s top 500 universities. “This would ultimately benefit the students to get world-class education in best environment,” he added.
The minister also presented a 14-point agenda in front of vice chancellors, asking VCs to sufficiently improve the overall standards of their universities. He directed them to develop and implement a composite roadmap of future vision so that the target of bringing sufficient improvements in the higher education sector could be achieved according to timeline.
According to details issued by ministry, the vice chancellors also gave a detailed briefing about their universities’ working. While addressing the meeting, the minister said that the Punjab government was fully committed to bringing qualitative improvements in public sector universities so that they could get conspicuous place in top 500 universities of the world.
He directed that universities should take full benefit of digital revolution and set up electronic libraries for students. He said that complaint-cell portion should also be established at universities’ websites so that their redressal could be monitored continuously.
Students should also be kept fully informed about various local and international scholarship opportunities, he said, adding that the hard working vice chancellors would be fully encouraged as well. He said that efforts were being made to raise universities’ budget for 2017-18 so that they could perform well.
He said any adjustment in terms of fee should be routed through the PHEC to him for approval. He asked the PHEC to sensitise the VCs on various available educational opportunities so that they could bring best improvements in their universities.
Later, talking to the media, the minister said that performance of universities would be made result-oriented so that this sector could produce best professionals for the country. He said that a commission would be set up to monitor the working of private universities. “This commission would also monitor that if these universities were working according to their charter. The Punjab government has always given top importance to the education sector and we want to give best quality education to students,” he added.
