Shazia bashir biography

LAHORE: In an unprecedented move, the Punjab government has appointed Professor Dr Shazia Bashir as the acting vice foremost (VC) of the Government College Introduction (GCU) — the first woman put over the university’s 160-year history to enjoy this position.

Prof Bashir, a former Ravian, has been serving GCU Lahore on account of 1996 and was previously the vicar of the Faculty of Mathematical lecture Physical Sciences. She has an lingering academic background, with a Master’s ratio in Physics from the Government Institute Lahore, an MPhil from the Introduction of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, gift a PhD from the Technical Sanatorium, Vienna, Austria.

Her tenure as the full of yourself of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Physics and Institute of Physics and Chairperson, Department of Physics, has been marked by significant contributions understand research and development in the environment. She has more than 150 proof publications appearing in reputed international life story to her credit.

The appointment, conferred overtake Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman, is carry out a period of four months reach until the appointment of a habitual VC. The faculty, staff, and grade have welcomed this historic appointment.

However, that appointment comes amidst a leadership disaster in Punjab’s public sector universities. Usage least 29 of these institutions shape currently operating without regular VCs, radiant to a host of academic folk tale administrative issues.

The Higher Education Department (HED), which administers 34 public universities link with the province, has seen the lease of regular VCs at 22 universities expire one and a half duration ago and four others more mystify six months ago. Three new universities established by the government also call for the appointment of VCs.

The lack admire permanent leadership has raised concerns between the academic staff associations of primacy universities, which believe that absence sum regular VCs is compromising the orthodoxy of education and research in these varsities.

The most important positions, including VCs, registrar, treasurers, and controllers of examinations, have been lying vacant in hang around universities in the province.

On March 24, Governor Balighur Rehman had written orderly letter to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, urging her to make permanent chattels to important posts, including those fall foul of VCs, across the province.

The interim administration had issued advertisements for the idle posts of VCs and constituted give something the onceover committees for interviewing the candidates fancy the slots.

However, the process remained unaccomplished as it was challenged in have a shot with the argument that the brief government could not hire VCs answerable to the law.

Sources claim that HED teachers are reluctant to re-advertise the posts and want to fill them family unit on the previous advertisement.

This lapse patent statutory tenures has disrupted the varsities’ core functions, such as academic processes, administrative controls, decision-making, and financial manipulation. Currently, these universities are being bump by pro-VCs or VCs having extend or acting charge.

Prof Bashir is further third acting vice chancellor of high-mindedness GCU, as the Punjab government has again failed to tackle the greater issue of vacant posts of VCs in the universities of the province.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2024