LAHORE: As per the decision of the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) Punjab chapter, the Government College University (GCU) Lahore Academic Staff Association (ASA) Tuesday observed black day against the amendments in the criteria of appointment of vice chancellors in public sector universities.
The university’s faculty didn’t boycott their classes however, they wore black ribbons on their arms to protest against lifting the condition of PhD for appointment as the VC.
GCU ASA President Prof Dr Hamid Mukhtar said that universities were not profit-making companies and a person, having no teaching or research experience, could not run a university effectively.
“The government must understand the role of a vice chancellor in a university. He looks after all the academics and research with the support and coordination of deans and chairpersons. In modern universities, research is an important factor which can be guided well only by a vice chancellor who himself has been a well-established researcher,” he added.
Prof Mukhtar believed that the key factor behind the underperformance of universities was lack of autonomy. He said that the teaching fraternity would never allow the appointments of managers and bureaucrats in universities as VCs.
The GCU ASA strongly demanded that only a full professor having a PhD degree with solid research credential should be appointed as a vice chancellor because only then can one play his or her role to enhance the research activities and academics simultaneously.
