Role of HEC

Seminar held on “Role of HEC in the Promotion of Higher Education”

Issue of the Higher Education Commission must be dealt with the collective wisdom. Education at every level must be managed by the centre. Curricula and the educational system’s disparity may result negative consequences on the promotion of the education in the country. Centralization of the education is not contrary to the provincial autonomy. Promotion of the nationalistic tendencies in the country is direly needed. All the prejudices must be shun to protect the ideological and geographical boundaries of the country. These views were shared by the former Dean of Social Sciences at the University of the Punjab, Prof Dr Mughees ud Din Sheikh while addressing a seminar on the “Role of Higher Education Commission in the Promotion of Higher Education”, organized by the Media & Publications at Hafiz Hayat Campus, the University of Gujrat. The Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin presided over the seminar.  While addressing the seminar, Dr Nizamuddin said the higher education is integral for the national development of the country. He said that the higher education should not suffer while administrative management of the state. He was of the view that higher education in this country must not be sacrificed on any ethnic ground. The quality performance of the HEC in the last decade binds one to continue its policies. The VC said that the HEC has played a role of think tank in Pakistan. He appreciated the HEC’s role while achieving the worth of its degrees overseas. He appreciated the HEC’s administrative performance keeping itself away from the political pressures. Renowned lawyer at Gujrat, Ch Masood Akhtar and Director, Centre for History, International Relations and Political Science (CHIPS) Prof Syed Shabbir Hussain Shah also addressed the seminar. While addressing as the legal expert remarked that the academia should have notice the issue in time. He was of the view that while ensuring the provincial autonomy, changes in the departmental managements doesn’t matter. Mr Masood said that on the issue of Eighteenth Amendment, people at the helm of affairs should be cautious as the denial to the provincial autonomy may have disastrous results.  He said that establishment in Pakistan had always been a great hindrance for the provincial autonomy. He remarked on the occasion that the nation had faced the consequences in the form of disintegration of the country. Earlier, while opening the debate, Syed Shabbir Hussain Shah said that the issue of the devolution of the HEC must be reviewed keeping in view the ground realities of the national administrative setup. He said that our provincial establishments are not capable enough to supervise the higher education qualitatively. He argumentatively remarked that the HEC is not in the concurrent list and how it became under its agenda. He opined that the HEC performed keeping itself aloof from the political pressures etc. He quoted on the occasion that the neighboring country India where the regulation of the higher education is the under the central setup. He urged the government to formulate policy on the issue while engaging all the stakeholders.