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Express Tribune
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
HEC, Sindh HEC at odds overVCs forum in Morocco
A dispute has emerged between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Sindh Higher Education Commission (Sindh HEC) over the participation of university vice chancellors in an upcoming international forum scheduled to be held in Rabat, Morocco. HEC has invited vice chancellors from across the country to attend the forum, asking universities to cover the travel expenses themselves. However, the Sindh HEC has refused to allow universities in the province to use provincial grants for this purpose. Sindh HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Rafi has issued an advisory to the heads of all public sector universities advising them not to undertake foreign trips using public funds, with a warning that any such cases will be reported to the Chief Minister, the Chancellor or Controlling Authority of Universities in Sindh. "The Sindh government provides grants to universities strictly for academic and research purposes. These funds cannot be spent on foreign trips," said Rafi. He added that while vice chancellors are free to attend the forum at their own expense, they are not permitted to use university or government funds for the trip. Sindh HEC reminded that it was difficult for many public sector universities in Sindh to even pay salaries of the teachers and staff. Even essential expenditures were covered by loans, he said. If such expenditures for international travel is of dire need, then they can only be incurred after approval of the same has been given by the Chief Minister. The Sindh HEC quoting the existing policy of the Universities and Boards Department of Sindh says, that the leave notifications issued for foreign tours explicitly mention that the expenses of such tours will not be borne by the Government of Sindh or university funds. The Vice Chancellors' Forum was originally planned to be held in Islamabad last month, but it was relocated to Rabat due to escalating tensions between Pakistan and India, sources said. Sindh HEC emphasized that most universities in the province are already facing financial deficits, and spending scarce resources on international travel would be irresponsible.
Business Recorder
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Murad urges youth to contribute to investment and defence
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged the youth to contribute to national investment and defence, saying during the recent conflict with India, the power of the people combined with technology played a vital role. Speaking at the Sindh Startups Exhibition, organised by the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), he emphasised for creating bridge between classrooms and boardrooms, and between research and real-world impact. The exhibition featured ideas from students and faculty across Sindh's public and private universities. From the 50 projects presented in the moot, five outstanding entries were selected by industry leaders based on their potential for scaling, adoption, and industrialisation. Each winning team will receive a cash award of Rs0.5million. The chief minister lauded the Sindh HEC for its vision and commitment to strengthening higher education, noting a shift from routine learning to real innovation and collaboration. He urged all Vice Chancellors and university leaders to draw inspiration from this initiative and leverage their Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORICs) to cultivate a local culture of invention, entrepreneurship, and applied research. He said that his government is vigorously promoting higher education. The province allocates the highest development budget for universities, amounting to Rs35 billion, with an additional Rs8 billion for development portfolios. 'This funding surpasses the combined allocations of the other three provinces and the federal government,' he said. He stressed the importance of universities producing not just graduates, but "innovators, creators, and problem-solvers," and developing platforms for student and faculty engagement with industry. This, he said, will steer universities towards self-sustainability, reducing dependency on government funding. Chairman Sindh HEC Dr Tariq Rafi highlighted this exhibition as the fourth major collaborative initiative between Sindh HEC and FPCCI. Previous efforts included the Sindh Research Support Program and events spotlighting university-based inventions, all aimed at delivering local solutions to local industries and moving universities towards greater self-reliance. Dr Rafi underscored the critical interdependence of industry and academia, stating, "Around the world, the most advanced industrial ecosystems owe their success to the breakthroughs, insights, and talent emerging from their universities." Chairman CIEC, Sindh HEC, Dr Sarosh Lodhi envisioned a future where ORICs function as "active launch pads for ideas" and encouraged more institutions to host local innovation showcases and campus-industry dialogues. President FPCCI Atif Shaikh also spoke. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
FPCCI praises Sindh Innovative Startups Exhibition 2025
KARACHI: Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, has apprised that Syed Murad Ali Shah, CM Sindh, inaugurated the Sindh Innovative Startups Exhibition 2025 at Federation House, Karachi – aimed at promoting indigenous business ideas; industry-academia linkages; emerging technologies; import substitution solutions; technologically-driven business & economic development and ecosystem of tech entrepreneurship in the country. He elaborated that, at FPCCI, we believe that the future of Pakistan's economy lies in innovation, entrepreneurship and knowledge-based collaboration. The time has come for industry to open its doors to academia not just as a partner; but, as a driver of future growth and competitiveness. FPCCI Chief also acknowledged the tireless efforts of Prof. Dr. Tariq Rafi, Chairman Sindh HEC, for pushing the boundaries of academic impact beyond the classroom and into the economy and Ms. Maheen Salman, Convener of FPCCI's Central Standing Committee on Higher Education, Science & Technology, for envisioning and executing the exhibition with clarity, energy and purpose. Syed Murad Ali Shah, CM Sindh, reiterated his government's support for universities and their R&D initiatives as it is the only sustainable way forward for creating a robust economic environment in Sindh through capitalizing the potential of youth in a constructive and productive manner. He highlighted that Sindh allocates the most funds for the universities among all provinces. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
In a first, Sindh to launch performance audit of university VCs
The Sindh government has decided to conduct a performance audit of vice chancellors of public universities across the province, following a recommendation by the Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC). This initiative marks the first time such a measure is being implemented in the academic history of Pakistan, including Sindh. The Chief Minister of Sindh, who also serves as the controlling authority for public universities in the province, has approved a summary submitted by the Sindh HEC titled "Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Senior Academic and Non-Academic Positions in Public Sector Universities." With this approval, the decision to conduct performance audits of key university officials, including vice chancellors, has taken immediate effect. From now on, the performance of vice chancellors will be directly linked to a reward and accountability system. According to the approved summary, the performance audit will not be limited to vice chancellors alone. Other key university officials-including pro-vice chancellors, directors of finance, deans of faculties, registrars, heads of departments, directors of ORIC and QAC, and controllers of examinations-will also be evaluated. Sindh HEC has developed specific KPIs for each of these positions, which have also received formal approval. According to details obtained by The Express Tribune, the Sindh HEC has shared this new monitoring and evaluation framework with the higher education authorities in the other three provinces as well as with the Federal HEC. This opens the possibility for other provinces and the federal body to adopt a similar system if they choose. It is worth noting that the Search Committee Act governing the appointment of vice chancellors in Sindh was passed three years ago. The Act includes a legal provision that allows the Search Committee to evaluate the performance of vice chancellors. The recently approved summary formalises this process, stipulating that the performance of vice chancellors and other key officials will be reviewed by the Sindh HEC and the Search Committee every two years.
