A Vice Chancellors’ Conference was held at the University of Peshawar on Thursday to review the academic, administrative and financial challenges facing public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, strengthen institutional reforms, and develop practical recommendations to ensure the financial sustainability of universities.
Dr. Aamer Abdullah, Member of the Advisory Council for Education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attended the conference as the chief guest.
Secretary Higher Education, Archives and Libraries Abidullah Kakakhel, Special Secretary Fazal Hussain, Director Quality Assurance, Higher Education, Dr. Imranullah Marwat, vice chancellors of public sector universities across the province, and other senior administrative officials also attended the conference.
The conference aimed to identify key challenges confronting public sector universities and develop effective, practical recommendations through collective deliberations and consultation.
Addressing the conference, Dr. Aamer Abdullah said that education and learning were the fundamental purposes of university life. He stressed that students should be provided with an environment conducive to their academic needs.
He added that monitoring student activities was essential to ensure that their time on campus was devoted to positive and constructive pursuits.
He stated that the government had a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of negative activities on university campuses. University administrations, therefore, should also adopt a firm approach and show no leniency in this regard.He emphasised that campuses must be kept free from all forms of undesirable activities.
Member of the Advisory Council for Education stressed the need for universities to pay particular attention to strengthening their financial governance. He expressed concern over the existing state of internal audit systems at universities and called for improvements to ensure effective financial oversight and accountability.
He also directed university administrations to provide quality residential facilities in student hostels and further improve existing accommodation and related amenities.
Dr. Aamer Abdullah said that university campuses must be made free of drugs. He directed university administrations to immediately approach the relevant authorities whenever assistance from the district administration or police was required to address the issue, enabling timely and effective support.
Emphasising the importance of the conference’s working groups, he urged participating experts to develop practical recommendations that could be implemented effectively to address the challenges facing universities.
Reflecting on the historical evolution of higher education and university systems around the world, Dr. Aamer Abdullah observed that the region had been a centre of intellectual and academic activity since ancient times. He noted that during the Gupta and Maurya periods, learning and scholarship flourished, with renowned centres of education such as Nalanda and Taxila serving as important institutions of higher learning. These institutions encouraged scholarly discussions and intellectual debates on a range of academic subjects.
He further noted that institutions such as the University of al-Qarawiyyin played a significant role in advancing knowledge and research in Islamic history. He also highlighted the importance of translation movements and renowned centres of learning and research, including those associated with the Hijaz and Bayt al-Hikmah, in promoting intellectual development and the dissemination of knowledge.
He said that the subsequent phase of the evolution of higher education included the medieval period, during which the concept of academic degrees gained prominence. The British colonial period, meanwhile, introduced an educational system and institutional model whose influence remained evident in the country’s teaching and learning practices.
Referring to the modern phase of university development, Dr. Aamer Abdullah said that strong financial systems played a vital role in enabling leading universities around the world to achieve stability and distinction. Such institutions adopted diverse strategies to strengthen their financial resources and reduce dependence on external funding, allowing them to invest more effectively in research, academic development and competitiveness.
He observed that the modern era of higher education was increasingly defined by endowment funds, research and academic competition.
The Member of the Advisory Council for Education urged university authorities to prioritise adapting to this modern phase of higher education and take effective measures to strengthen financial sustainability, promote research and improve academic standards.
Describing the conference as an important opportunity to deliberate on the fundamental challenges facing universities and develop actionable recommendations, Dr. Aamer Abdullah said that the services of a consultancy firm could also have been engaged for this purpose. However, he observed that the collective effort of experienced university experts to formulate recommendations through consultation could prove to be a significant milestone in improving institutional performance, academic activities and governance across public sector universities.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Peshawar Professor Dr. Johar Ali, Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education Abidullah Kakakhel, and other senior officials of the Higher Education Department also addressed the conference.
The conference’s working groups deliberated on a range of key issues confronting universities, including academic and administrative challenges, governance reforms, implementation of anti-harassment policies, measures to eliminate drugs from campuses, financial constraints, the establishment and strengthening of endowment funds, and the activation of alumni associations. The groups also presented their recommendations and proposals for addressing these issues.