LAHORE - Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Nizamuddin has said that restructuring colleges, introduction of best education system and improvement of infrastructure would be his priority to bring reforms in provincial higher education sector.
He was addressing a seminar organized by Punjab University Institute of Social and Cultural Studies on “Role of Punjab Higher Education Commission in promotion of Tertiary Education in Punjab” here on Monday. PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, Dean Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences Prof Dr Zakria Zakir, faculty members and a large numer of students were present on the occasion.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr Nizamuddin said that bringing reforms and reorganising colleges would be a tough challenge where we could face problems from various stakeholders. He said that there was need to improve performance of 516 public sector colleges in Punjab on modern lines because their result was not more than 30 percent in BA examinations.
On the contrary, he said, the pass percentage of around 1,500 private colleges in graduation was more than 85 per cent and that’s why people were giving preference to private institutes. He said that PHEC would ensure success of 4-year degree programs being run at public sector colleges by introducing reforms.
He said that we would see that whether the curriculum of BA and BCom was according to the modern needs and market driven as students were not getting jobs after graduation. He said that PHECb would take several initiatives including establishment of training academies for professional training of teachers and staff and PHEC would devise a system for quality assurance at colleges. He said that some colleges would be opened in various cities on experimental basis on the pattern of Govt Home Economics College and four year degrees would be offered after matriculation.
He said that PHEC would introduce community college system which would provide better job opportunities and affordable education to the people. He said that Technical University would be set up and the three-year degree program being offered by TEVTA institutions would be enhanced to proper 4 years degree program. He said that quality of technical education would also be ensured in affiliated colleges.
He said that unfortunately, only 8 per cent people were reaching higher education level while this ratio was 12 per cent in Bangladesh, 18 per cent in India and 29 per cent in Turkey and PHEC would plan to ensure access to higher education possible to maximum people.
Dr Mujahid Kamran said that Dr Nizamuddin was full of initiative and ideas and higher education sector in Punjab would improve under his dynamic leadership. Dr Zakria Zakri called upon Dr Nizamuddin to use his influence for funding of institutions of higher learning and promotion of research culture.

INAUGURATION: Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has inaugurated newly installed Disaster Recovery and Record Scanner system at Department of Examinations.
Dean Faculty of Law Prof Dr Shazia Qureshi, Controller of Examinations Prof Dr Shahid Munir, Additional Controllers Ahmed Ali Chatha and Sufi Jamil, Deputy Controllers Muhammad Rauf Nawaz, Manzoor Ahmed, Shahid Javed, Khuram Inayat, Ghulam Jillani, Mrs Raana Qaiser and other officials were present on the occasion.
Dr Shahid Munir gave a detailed briefing on future plans and functioning of various sections of examinations department. He said that because of Disaster Recovery System, now the work of examinations department would continue smoothly if any technical problem occurred in our server because all the necessary data would be obtained from the alternative server.
He said that the admission forms of candidates would be digitized through the help of record scanner. He thanked PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran for his support in installing the set-up.
Earlier, Dr Mujahid Kamran visited various sections of department of examination