Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) was criticised for inviting vice-chancellors of public universities to a conference in Rabat, Morocco, scheduled for June 24 to 26.
The HEC directed university heads to confirm their participation by May 28 and instructed them to fund their travel expenses from university budgets, which rely on taxpayer money and student fees. Only a few HEC officials will have their costs covered by the commission itself.
Originally, the HEC planned to hold the conference in Pakistan on May 12, but later shifted the venue to Morocco, citing unspecified “regional conditions.” This decision has raised concerns about the necessity and timing of the event, as reported by Express Tribune Pakistan.
The HEC, responsible for funding and regulating higher education, has not disclosed the conference’s agenda or expected outcomes.
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Public universities across Pakistan, reliant on HEC-allocated federal funds and, in Sindh, provincial support, are in crisis. Federal Urdu University staff have gone months without salaries, and retirees await their pensions. The University of Balochistan and Hyderabad’s new federal university face similar shortages, with some Sindh institutions borrowing from banks to pay staff, according to Dawn. Sindh’s policy typically prohibits university or government funds for overseas travel by university heads, making HEC’s directive contentious.
Critics argue that the HEC’s spending priorities are misaligned. The HEC has faced scrutiny for its history of funding international travel, including 5,000 Ph.D. scholarships abroad, due to poor oversight. Some scholars have failed to return, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.
The HEC’s Morocco conference has ignited calls for transparency and accountability as universities face financial collapse. Stakeholders demand justification for the event’s costs and benefits.
