ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (APP):Rector International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) Prof Dr Masoom Yasinzai on Monday called for a comprehensive road-map to restore students unions at colleges and universities sans political patronage and affiliation.
He said it would lead to a robust system that eventually grooms ‘future leaders and educational reformers’ at these institutions of the country.
In an exclusive interview with APP during a formal visit to its Headquarter, he elaborated that the students unions role in the past had been eclipsed due to the patronage of different political parties, adding their ‘deviated role’ had some bad precedents as well.
He said these unions should not work under umbrella of political parties since they will not be able to focus on educational issues. Unfortunately, in the past, these unions had been working in the universities as political wings of different parties which ruined the atmosphere of educational institutions.
“The main objective of these unions was to learn from the expertise of each other and to work for the promotion of education for next generations” he added.
He underlined the need to encourage those students at university level, who would take up education and policies issues.
He suggested the government to take academia on board while formulating new educational policies, aimed at improving education sector and for ensuring optimum results at national level.
Citing developed countries, he said “We should learn from their expertise to reinvigorate our education system to meet contemporary requirements and tackle future challenges.”
The Rector IIUI further said no university management would desire to have friction any group of students on multiple administrative and functional issues of the institution.
He called for discouraging the tendency to divide students on linguistic and area basis as it dampens their passion and love for study and research work.
To a question, he said the inquiry report of a recent incident, would be formally presented by the President IIUI to higher authorities. Currently, President IIUI was abroad and it would be made public after his return, he added.
Under the collaboration with Islamic countries, around 3000 foreign students were studying with 53 foreign teachers at the IIUI, he said.
The Prime Minister, he informed, in a meeting held recently with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had directed for resolving its financial issues.
Replying to another query, Dr Yasinzai said that the university was facing shortage of funds due to minimum financial support from foreign countries.
”Currently, we have got approved an amount of Rs 2.5 billion from the government for improving quality education and different projects of the university” he said.
The IIUI Rector urged the teachers to fully focus on the character building, ethics and discipline of the students.
The IIUI and APP also accorded the approval for an internship programme for students of Department of Media and Communication Studies.
