There will be no compromise on the quality of education in universities, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri said on Tuesday.
Speaking at his nrst press conference after assuming office, Dr Banuri said substandard and low quality academic programmes initiated by universities in viola-tion of HEC guidelines are tantamount to cheating students.
The rights of students must be protected as they are the primary stakeholders in the higher education sector, he added.
Dr Banuri said a number of measures have to be taken for ensuring the quality ofeducation and research,capacity building of faculty and imparting practical knowledge to students.
`Trainingprogrammesarebeingplannedfor university leadership and administration so issues like governance, financial management, human resource development and additional resource generation can be efficiently addressed,` he added.
`It must have ensured that students are not cheated or defrauded in any way,` he said.
The HEC chairman said the institutions issuing fake degrees are not only endangering students` future but also committing injustice to the society.`Exploiting education invites strong regulatory action,` he said and added that HEC has minimum standards which universities must abide by.
Dr Banuri said IT should be used for making teaching, research, administration and financial affairs more efficient and transparent.
He said HEC will strive to make universities more autonomous and hinted at a social contract with the government to end interference in university affairs.
