The Higher Education Commission (HEC) came under new leadership in May this year. While the change of leadership in HEC is a routine affair -- driven by a usual tenure of four years, followed by a selection by an assorted panel, and final approval by the prime minister -- the present change has come at an extraordinary time.

The country is geared for national elections and interim setups have been installed to run the centre and provinces. Though the status of HEC as a regulator of higher education affairs is now firmly grounded, its future role is unclear, given the devolution of higher education affairs to the provinces after the 18^th Amendment.

Independent critics appreciate the performance of the HEC on many counts, including the expansion of the sector, comparative increase in funding, initiation of doctoral scholarship programmes, a visible monitoring and regulatory regime, launch of many research initiatives and a gradual increase in outreach and networking capacities of universities. There are many issues that need a serious review by HEC and other stakeholders linked with higher education and its management in the country.

The country is now experiencing a youth bulge that is or will be in need of educational opportunities. Quality education with uniform access is the foremost need. The total number of institutions of higher learning in the country is not more than 250. Thus less than four per cent of the population shall have the chance to enrol in a university. Even within this narrow opening, the guarantee to ‘quality education’ is acutely limited. There is a huge need to increase the number of higher education institutions.

One solution is to increase enrollment possibilities in institutions which have displayed better performance in delivering education. Another option is to collaborate with friendly foreign countries to help in setting up campuses after resolving the administrative and regulatory issues. Such arrangements have been very useful in many countries across the world, including India.

The changing status of legal and administrative approaches towards higher education has caused a severe blow to the self-governing ability and prerogative of institutions of higher learning. The university autonomy is an important tenet of its functioning which is guaranteed by the respective laws, statutes and regulations. The universities, especially those in the public sector, used to once enjoy full independence.

It is far from apprehension that any public sector university has misused its autonomy through its syndicate, though in any university some relaxations might be necessary. Of late, the provincial governments, judiciary and even HEC are increasing their meddling in the functioning of universities.

Increased interventions in the management and academic processes of universities have caused university vice-chancellors to become completely defensive and subservient to bureaucratic controls. It goes without saying that academic and administrative freedom is the first pre-requisite for knowledge creation.

HEC has begun ranking universities. The exercise has met mixed reactions. Usually ranking is done by an independent body that is not connected with the management and governance of higher education. The best manner of evaluating the performance of universities and other higher education institutions is through self-assessment. Assuming that each institution comprises learned people with a forthright approach, the task of identifying the weaknesses, strengths and potentials should be left to the universities. HEC may assist these universities upon request. That done, the reform programmes may be launched according to the highlighted needs in each context.

The agenda for research must be drawn through mutual consultations. Pressing issues pertinent to the nation must be given priority. For instance, instead of blindly submitting to the donor-sponsored poverty alleviation programmes, economists and social scientists may be assigned to pinpoint the root causes of poverty at various levels, their possible solutions and the opportunity to test the solutions through pilot projects. The government must be advised to take notice of these exercises. A sound research outcome without a receptive administration is of little consequence.

Moreover, the social and economic status of the faculty members must be analysed. A society where teachers bear less respect can hardly generate a confident future generation. Imposing conditions without giving any financial benefits would keep qualified persons away from public sector universities. Those desirous to not work hard would resort to jobs in government colleges where the ranks and salary structure is same as that of universities.

In due course, one becomes a professor and the luckier ones are able to achieve even grade 21. Others may find better prospects elsewhere. Presently Ph.D degree holders from Pakistani universities are being offered higher salaries in private universities.

From this account, it may be inferred that only worldly unwise qualified persons shall seek these jobs and those already in the job may stay for unknown reasons in the public sector universities. It may not be out of place to mention that some well-qualified and well-meaning incumbents have already left. Reasonably attractive pay scales must be devised for university teachers. Tenure track system, which was introduced many years ago, has not yielded the desired results as is quite evident from many case studies across the country.

Intolerance and right-winged hegemony has gripped our universities. The Mashal Khan case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is just one example. Generally speaking, universities are places where dissent from conventions is respected, status quo of all sorts is academically and intellectually challenged and conditions ensured for free thinking and unhindered expression. It is only after such pre-conditions are met that original contributions to the knowledge are ensured.

This promotes academic talent and attracts men of letters from everywhere, especially in social and applied sciences. Unfortunately, majority of our institutions/universities show a total disregard to such universal characteristics that are pre-requisite to learning. Public sector universities lay down an iron framework for the code of conduct of professors and scholars. Ideas and ideological reference, political affinities, expression, discourse and even professional affiliations all have to conform to the state-based framework. More in practice than letters, teachers in the public sector universities are made to follow a strict code of conduct which is next only to a military drill.

As a result, it reduces university professors to mere microphones who repeat the undergraduate or postgraduate lessons in robotic performances. The new HEC leader may consider introducing a debate to carve out an enabling environment where intellectual freedom is ensured and the lives of teachers and students are protected.