HEC's planned funding formula is stuck in limbo

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) recommended a new formula for allocating financing to universities, however the commission lacks a chairman to form a revised committee.

On the request of university vice chancellors, the HEC organised a committee to work on the distribution of money across institutions a few years ago.

The committee head, however, resigned before the assignment was completed, and a committee member died in June 2020. Since then, a new committee has been unable to be constituted due to the HEC's lack of a chairman.

According to the HEC document, a committee was formed led by VC of Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineer Ahmed Farooq Bazai, with members including VC of IBA University (Sukkur) Prof Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui (late), former surgeon general Asif Mumtaz Sukhera, a nominee from the finance division, and the executive director of HEC.

The committee completed its recommendations, which were presented to the commission's 35th meeting and vice chancellors' 28th committee meeting (VCs). According to the paper, after doing due diligence, the commission asked the committee to further analyse the formula in accordance with the VCs committee's standards. Variation in annual charge per student should be explored, according to the VCs committee, and HEC should consider developing an unified policy to govern fees at universities.

"HEC may consider categorising institutions according to their enrolment, age, and type, in order to design allocation of recurring grant," the committee recommended. HEC may examine additional considerations such as pension concerns in older universities and startup obstacles in newly-established universities, in addition to the specified determinants of need-based grant component."

Alternative performance metrics for art institutions should be devised under the performance-based funding component, it was also suggested. However, the committee's convener resigned, and member Mr Siddiqui died in June 2020 from Covid-19.

The HEC is now without a chairman, and its executive director, Dr. Shaista Sohail, who retired in August of this year, has been administering the commission's business on an extension basis. Online Portal Launched for Degree Equivalence Certificates by HEC