Fed the most, did the least

Three large and reputed universities of Lahore, Government College University (GCU), University of Engineering and Technology (UET) and Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), which receive the most amount of funds by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), have failed to get a place among the top overall university of the country in the new HEC ranking, Pakistan Today learnt on Monday. HEC officials also warned the Punjab government to take interest in these universities which were becoming the hub of teachers’ and students’ politics.
“These rankings were released after six years and it is a shame that these universities could not make their mark,” HEC officials said. On the other hand Punjab University, Lahore University of Management Sciences and University of Health Sciences are the only three universities of the city that were able to grab places in the top ten positions.
Ranking criteria for the universities include student intake as well as the number of graduates produced at BS, MS and PhD levels, number of qualified faculty members, student-teacher ratio, quality of research produced and published in journals of international repute, physical and technological infrastructure, international collaborations, resource generation and sports facilities.
“These universities are in the grip of teachers’ politics and even though they are getting the maximum amount of funds, they are underperforming,” a professor asking not to be named told Pakistan Today. “UET is being run by a retired soldier, what would he know about research?” a UET professor said. Other professors said the LCWU was one of the main universities of the women and due to politics that also involve the VC, the university has underperformed, adding that the same was the case for GCU. “After the 18 Amendment, the CM should realise his role and should appoint good administrators,” an HEC official said.