UET Peshawar functioning without VC

PESHAWAR: The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar has been functioning without a vice-chancellor for the last one month, hampering the routine matters of the university as well as causing problems for the students.

The provincial government and chancellor’s office have been unmoved to notify a pro-vice-chancellor and fill the office on an acting basis at least so that the urgent matters at the institutions could be resolved and its smooth functioning could be ensured.

Some reports suggested that the perpetual tension between the Chief Minister’s House and the Governor’s House was the top reason causing a delay in the timely appointment of ‘acting’ vice-chancellors.

According to sources a summary pertaining to the appointment of the pro-vice-chancellor of the university has already been moved to the Governor’s House and it has been lying there for three weeks for the approval of the governor, who is chancellor of the university.

The tenure of the regular vice chancellor of the university was completed in December 2023. Pro-vice-chancellor Prof Dr Qaisar Ali took the charge as acting vice-chancellor under the University’s Act.

The tenure of the pro-vice-chancellor also completed on October 10, 2024, leaving the university without a lawful head - regular, acting, or officiating.

The absence of a head of the institution has not only worsened the academic environment of the university but also resulted in administrative chaos, financial uncertainty

and unrest among students and graduates.

“The most serious issue is the delay in the issuance of degrees, a fundamental responsibility of any academic institution. No degree could be issued from the university during the past one month putting the career of those leaving abroad for jobs and higher studies in jeopardy,” said a senior professor of the university.

The graduates, desperate to move forward with their careers or pursue higher education, are left stranded since they have to wait for months just to get their degrees verified from the vice chancellor, he said.

The university’s financial health is also at stake in terms of finalization of critical agreements with private and public sector organizations. The University had already set targeted plans and actions for revenue generation in critical areas of research but they are also stalled in the absence of a decision-making authority.

The agreements, which could bring in significant revenue for infrastructure development and academic resources, are now in jeopardy. “The opportunities are slipping through our fingers while the university sits idle without leadership,” lamented another faculty member.

The absence of leadership and uncertainty has also resulted in cancellation of a considerable number of admissions this year. Administratively, UET Peshawar is paralyzed with regard to running administrative affairs, budget allocations, and policy implementations.

The students are bearing the brunt of this dysfunction as they have to wait for an uncertain period to perform academic activities right from degree issuance to handling basic student affairs.

The delay in appointing a permanent vice chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor has impacted over the institution’s credibility of its inaction in numerous ongoing projects with relevant industry and private sector.

“How can a university function without a head? This is beyond negligence-it’s sabotage of education itself,” said an academic expert familiar with the matter. The stakes are higher now as UET Peshawar is at risk of losing its reputation, student trust, and financial stability if the leadership vacuum is not addressed immediately.

The seriousness of the provincial government about education can be gauged from the fact that 26 out of 34 universities in the province have been functioning without a regular vice-chancellor for the past more than two years. The process for appointing 19 vice-chancellors was completed during the caretaker government but this incumbent government delayed rather cancelled the process and re-advertised the position.

Peshawar High Court cancelled the advertisement and directed the government to notify the vice-chancellor in accordance with the process completed during the caretaker government but to no avail.

Serious enough is the issue that several important universities like the University of Peshawar, Islamia College University and now the UET Peshawar remained without even an officiating vice-chancellor for months deteriorating the situation further. Despite attempts, the governor’s version could not be procured.