LAHORE - Punjab Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza Ali Gillani has said the overall standards of higher education are being improved to make them compatible with the international standards.
For this purpose, the minister said, a comprehensive roadmap has been vigorously pursued so that the university students could avail quality educational and research facilities. The government has also planned to appoint pro vice chancellors in the public sector universities to provide necessary support to the VCs for improving universities’ overall standards, he added.
He was having a meeting with newly appointed vice chancellors of four different public sector universities including Dr Zafar Moeen Nasar, Dr Rukhsana Kausar, Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad and Dr Muhammad Zubair at his office yesterday.
Higher Education Secretary Naseem Nawaz, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Nizamuddin and PHEC Director General Dr Shahid Saroya were also present on the occasion.
The minister said the government is committed to help improve the quality standards of universities so that they may fall in the top 500 universities of the world. “Promotion of education is our priority agenda. The government will monitor the progress-based performance of the universities,” he told the vice chancellors. Gillani said the universities would also be provided ample funds so that the students could conduct research and help Pakistan develop knowledge-based economy while the higher education department and the PHEC would also play their role in this regard. He directed that students’ feedback/complaint cells should be established in universities along-with the launch of computerised application. “I will personally monitor this complaints redressel system,” he told the VCs.
The vice chancellors explained their future strategy to the minister and vowed to improve the academic standards of their universities in line with the vision of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Meanwhile, the minister distributed laptops among 89 students of Atta-shad Degree College, Turbat-Balochistan at a ceremony held at Al-Razi Hall of Punjab University.
