Allama Iqbal Medical College convocation

AIMC convocation
Lahore: The Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC), Lahore, will hold its 11th convocation for the sessions 2009-10 and 2010-11 at AIMC auditorium on May 24. Eminent nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan will be the chief guest on the occasion.

AIMC Principal Prof Dr Javed Akram said that the college administration would award gold and silver medals on 152 top position holders of the two academic sessions, besides conferring MBBS degrees on 1,000 students.The principal has requested all the graduates of AIMC, who had earned medals during 26 years history of the college but were deprived of the honour, to register themselves before May 5, 2011 so that they could be awarded their duly-earned medals during the convocation.

HEC maintained integration among varsities, says VC
Tank: The Gomal University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mansoor Akbar Kundi has said that performance of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) showed that it maintained integration among public sectors universities.

"Although the provinces still have a big role in the management of public sector universities, higher education is a national matter and it should not be dealt with at the provincial level," he said while talking at his office.

The VC said whatever the motivation behind the HEC devolution, the fact remains that it had played pivotal role in increasing enrolment at universities. He said the HEC performance gained international recognition and appreciation and helped in raising and allocating funds for higher education.

Dr Kundi said that in case the HEC was devolved, public sector universities would not be able to successfully manage to raise funds and maintain better governance. The academician said a significant feature of the HEC was that it was an apolitical public institution that enjoyed support of international donors. He said there must be a debate on the HEC restructuring instead of arguments with regard to its devolution.

"There may be some flaws in HEC that can be debated and removed with consensus," he added. He suggested that provinces should be given equal representation in HEC by rotating its higher offices.

Dr Kundi said the point to ponder was that HEC's substitute to be set up by the provinces in the near future might not be able to devise an appropriate financial mechanism to maintain sustained funding level for public sector universities to ensure the quality and standard of higher education. The news