Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah urged officials to halt hiring non-teaching staff at public universities to lessen severe financial pressures during a meeting with 32 vice chancellors in the province held to examine administrative hurdles, funding challenges, and academic facilities.
The gathering included the chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, the secretary of universities and boards, along with vice chancellors and other officials.
Shah recognized the difficulties confronting state universities, stating the provincial administration intends to collaborate with academic leaders for practical answers and noted that the government supplies Rs44.46 billion in grants to these institutions for the ongoing financial year.
Pension obligations have turned into a significant obstacle for schools, leading Shah to demand limits on unneeded hiring for non-faculty roles to cut costs, while mentioning that proposals for university syndicates will go to the provincial cabinet with a focus on adding members with education experience.
He advised involving alumni more deeply in campus growth and invited vice chancellors to present research projects to the administration for potential funding, while also pressing institutions to secure proper accreditation for studies and build stronger connections with industry.
For new campuses, the chief secretary requested thorough studies and feasibility assessments before project approval, urging schools to evaluate student populations and create guidelines to guarantee financial viability.
Shah requested lower power expenses through solar energy adoption, announced a forthcoming solarisation initiative for campuses, and instructed schools to remove unauthorized power hookups.
A proposal to elevate the retirement age for university professors from 60 to 65 years will go to the provincial cabinet, according to the chief secretary, who added that the administration will also contact federal officials regarding matters under their control.
Vice chancellors pointed out the challenges of keeping skilled faculty due to private universities luring them away with better pay.
Faculty availability suffers as teachers move abroad, delay their return, or look for foreign jobs again after coming back, according to the academic leaders.
The vice chancellors pointed to pension costs and large power bills as primary drivers of their monetary pressure, alongside a lack of teaching staff and other human resource difficulties.
