MULTAN: The administration of the Bahauddin Zakariya University has decided to oppose a proposal for the merger of its engineering and agriculture colleges with the Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology (MNSUET) and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA), respectively.
A meeting of the MNSUET steering committee to discuss the merger of both the colleges with the two universities has been called by the Planning and Development Department on March 16 which will be presided over the by P&D Board Chairman Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan.
The meeting which will be attended by the secretaries of Higher Education Department (HED), Communication and Works Department (C&W) and Agriculture Department besides the Multan commissioner and vice chancellors of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (UET), BZU, Islamia University, Bahawalpur and University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
The meeting will discuss the visit of the MNSUET VC, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) CEO with the commissioner for the preparation of a proposal for additional space for the university. The committee on merger of BZU colleges with both the universities will present its proposal along with recommendations to the steering committee while the MNSUET VC will follow up the matter of pending PC-I and recurring budget with the HEC.
A meeting of faculty members of the BZU College of Engineering and Technology (CET) presided over by its Principal Dr Abid Latif a couple of days ago opposed the merger idea and pledged to retain it with the BZU.
Through a resolution, the meeting stated that the college could not be shifted or merged as it was part of the university act and calendar besides being approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC)
Academic Staff Association (ASA) President Dr Javed Ahmad said that it was unfortunate that instead of providing funding and facilities to the new universities, the departments of well-established universities were being given to them (new institutions).“In case of merger, the ASA along the civil society of south Punjab will launch a protest campaign over this unjustified act,” he said.
BZU Public Relations Director Dr Abdul Qadoos Sohaib said that the university administration had categorically decided to oppose the merger move.
“The steering committee meeting should be postponed and all the stockholders should be taken into confidence,” he said.
He said both the colleges had been serving the area by offering admissions to thousands of students since 25 years.Defending the merger move, MNSUA VC Dr Asif Ali said that it was always better to pool resources, develop collaboration, make task-oriented teams and use human resources, building and equipment effectively in the public interest.
MNSUET VC Dr Muhammad Zubair said that no such proposal was going to be finalized in the forthcoming meeting of the steering committee.
“It will not be done in a sudden way and any decision in this regard will be made by taking all stakeholders into confidence,” he said.
He said personally he was not in favour of the merger but if it was going to be done, it should be done after reviewing the matter critically.
“There is no other engineering university expect UET between Lahore and Rahim Yar Khan and a full-fledged university should be established instead of going for mergers,” he said.
Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2017
A meeting of the MNSUET steering committee to discuss the merger of both the colleges with the two universities has been called by the Planning and Development Department on March 16 which will be presided over the by P&D Board Chairman Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan.
The meeting which will be attended by the secretaries of Higher Education Department (HED), Communication and Works Department (C&W) and Agriculture Department besides the Multan commissioner and vice chancellors of University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (UET), BZU, Islamia University, Bahawalpur and University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
The meeting will discuss the visit of the MNSUET VC, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) CEO with the commissioner for the preparation of a proposal for additional space for the university. The committee on merger of BZU colleges with both the universities will present its proposal along with recommendations to the steering committee while the MNSUET VC will follow up the matter of pending PC-I and recurring budget with the HEC.
A meeting of faculty members of the BZU College of Engineering and Technology (CET) presided over by its Principal Dr Abid Latif a couple of days ago opposed the merger idea and pledged to retain it with the BZU.
Through a resolution, the meeting stated that the college could not be shifted or merged as it was part of the university act and calendar besides being approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC)
Academic Staff Association (ASA) President Dr Javed Ahmad said that it was unfortunate that instead of providing funding and facilities to the new universities, the departments of well-established universities were being given to them (new institutions).“In case of merger, the ASA along the civil society of south Punjab will launch a protest campaign over this unjustified act,” he said.
BZU Public Relations Director Dr Abdul Qadoos Sohaib said that the university administration had categorically decided to oppose the merger move.
“The steering committee meeting should be postponed and all the stockholders should be taken into confidence,” he said.
He said both the colleges had been serving the area by offering admissions to thousands of students since 25 years.Defending the merger move, MNSUA VC Dr Asif Ali said that it was always better to pool resources, develop collaboration, make task-oriented teams and use human resources, building and equipment effectively in the public interest.
MNSUET VC Dr Muhammad Zubair said that no such proposal was going to be finalized in the forthcoming meeting of the steering committee.
“It will not be done in a sudden way and any decision in this regard will be made by taking all stakeholders into confidence,” he said.
He said personally he was not in favour of the merger but if it was going to be done, it should be done after reviewing the matter critically.
“There is no other engineering university expect UET between Lahore and Rahim Yar Khan and a full-fledged university should be established instead of going for mergers,” he said.
Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2017
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