VESTED INTERESTS TAKE TOLL ON HEC?

* Chairman HEC warns present crisis to only harm higher education sector
* Says PHDs produced in Pakistan are far below the required levels of competency,
* Academic journals are the biggest scam in higher education
* I am here to rectify the anomalies focusing on autonomy, quality and accountability
* My policy of equal distribution of funding to Centre of Excellence & HEI’s troubles few close to PM

Mahtab Bashir
0333 53 63 248
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
Islamabad

Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Tariq Javed Banuri has said that since its inception (in 2002), HEC has been working with rudderless policy, I step-in the premises of HEC with a clear cut vision of autonomy, quality and accountability (of/to HEI’s) in the country, however, some beneficiaries of the old policies, including some HEC staff members, did not like these reforms and started to reverse them as soon as I was removed.

Dr. Banuri, who was appointed as the chief of the commission in 2018 by then Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for a protected tenure of 4 years (till May 2022), said that for the last two decades, PHDs produced in Pakistan are far below the required levels of competency, whereas academic journals are the biggest dodge in higher education that the world laughs on us.

He further opined that the measures he took as chairman of HEC to rectify these issues, including, life-long training programs for PHDs, teaching as a requirement for promotions (along with research) and introducing a method of providing funds on the basis of output and research produced by research centres.

In an informal rendezvous at HEC Secretariat, with this scribe, Dr. Banuri quoted, “Every honest man is alone, while a crooked has a battalion with him,” adding he felt immense contentment out of this crisis as people around the world kept on contacting me on daily basis, praising me the way I am standing on principals.

Dr. Banuri, whose’ name, photograph and message has already been removed from HEC official website (www.hec.gov.pk) while the case is sub-judice, said that he has taken firm steps to strengthen senate/ bodies of Universities/ HEI’s, focused on the Scholarships.

“I ensure that all projects pertaining to education were properly scrutinized on the basis of merit. As a result, none of the projects were able to get the approval of the Planning Commission in two years. As soon as I was removed, the same projects were miraculously approved,” he explained.

In a reply to a question, Dr. Banuri said my working relationship with Dr. Attaur Rehman was deteriorated when I talked about funding under a specified formula and said that funding would be given on the basis of performance.

He said the knowledge economy concept became famous in 2000 when China adopted it as a state policy. The idea is that today knowledge (not IT or technology) plays a key role in the production process, far more than natural resources or industrial structure. “Knowledge” covers many areas, including technology, quality enhancement, higher value products, branding, advertisement, and so on. This means we need to educate our children at all levels, primary, secondary, and higher levels, to be able to produce high quality goods and services.

However, the government’s task force on this subject took a bizarre turn. Instead of supporting higher investment in education, it focused exclusively on getting a funding of Rs30 billion per year for unspecified projects. This amount was more than all the money allocated to all the higher education projects proposed by the HEC. “I made sure that any projects pertaining to education were properly scrutinized on the basis of merit. The result was none of the projects were able to get the approval of the Planning Commission in two years. As soon as I was removed, the same projects were miraculously approved.

He said, "in reply to my strict stance on equal distribution of HEI's funds, he said there are number of Nobel Laureates met me on daily basis. And I simply reply, please keep them in touch and ask funds from them."

Dr. Banuri disclosed that there are 30 Centre of Excellence working in the country- who are receiving Rs.3billion per annum. “When I asked about the distribution of funds, I came to know that out of 3billion, 1billion has been distributed to HIJ (a centre working under Dr. Atta) while Rs.2billion were distributed among the 29 other Centres,” he explained saying for the last two decades a centre is has drawn Rs.20billion in addition to development funds but the outcome is nil.

Dr. Tariq Bauri we need to make headway (for future). “Let me tell you, I remained abroad for 11 months, and I was shocked to know how the employees of HEC made conspiracies against me (for no reasons). I have (seen) their texts messages. But I am a man with positive mind, and I believe, if a person is successful here (in this world) by doing wrong, he must be answerable there (in the second world).