Experts call for autonomy of universities

Participants at the second roundtable conference on “Six years of 18th Constitutional Amendment: Equity and autonomy of universities”, demanded the implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment in education, especially in the higher education sector, and said that the autonomy of universities should be ensured, reports Pakistan Today.

The conference was organised by Pakistan Social Services Partnership, a coalition of 85 civil society organisations, Civil Society Network Pakistan and other organisations at a local hotel in Lahore. The event was presided over by the former secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, and was attended by academicians, parliamentarians, university faculty, researchers and representatives of civil society.

The unanimous resolution passed at the conference states that the autonomy of universities and academic freedom at campuses must be respected by the federal/provincial Higher Education Commissions, as per the true spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. A new commission on higher education should be formed by the federal government as per the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which should repeal the existing one.
Full report on Pakistan Today site