LAHORE - The Punjab University, a historic seat of learning in the sub-continent, Sunday turned 133 years and its 43rd VC Prof Dr. Mujahid Kamran expressed his firm resolve to improve the PU ranking through de-politicisation of the campuses and promotion of research culture.
James Broadwood Lyall was the first VC and Lyallpur was named after him which has now further been named Faisalabad after Saudi King Faisal.
In an exclusive interview with an APP here on PU New Campus on Sunday, the VC highlighted efforts to ensure an ideal political environment for the students, asserting, any pressure group, or student organization even from teachers and employees would not be allowed to violate discipline of the institution as well as the future of more than 39,000 students.
He said that no organization has legal status to organize its activities or interfere into matters related to the administration, adding the varsity would not be influenced by pressure tactics of any political group or illegal organization.
Dr Mujahid Kamran said that some external political elements were backing some senior teachers of the university and a student organization for their vested interests. He said that during his tenure as VC, he managed to control most of illegal activities banned outfits and they could not organize their functions on the campus freely as they used to  do in the past. He said that genuine students could express their potential through co-curricular activities and their  protection would be ensured at every cost.
The VC said that he took revolutionary steps for Faculty Development Programme and improved the efficiency of teachers through their capacity building and research. He said the university produced more than 120 PhDs every year during his 2nd three-year term and 1980 PhDs had so far been produced.
He criticised the role of some senior teachers for backing a student organisation to pressurise the administration for their vested interests and to prove their loyalty to a religious political party which had inducted them in the 70s in violation of merit.
“We have the potential to produce more PhDs and the task will be achieved through hard work, dedication, de-politicisation and continuation of policies,” he observed.
Referring to communication with more than 39’000 university students, he said that an email system had been designed where the students send their mails and necessary action was being taken on their applications.
Mujahid Kamran said the university also improved linkages with foreign universities and various agreements had been signed for students exchange, foreign language courses and visits to benefit from the experience of each other.
The VC said that he not only reorganized the human resources department at the university but also regularized more than 2,300 people and also promoted almost 100 percent employees.
He was of the view that with the support of the government, teachers and students, the university could be included among top 200 universities of the world.