By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Rector University of Central Asia, former Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission, Prof. Dr. Sohail, Hussain Naqvi delivered a lecture on the topic of Ranking and Universities – Importance and Challenges at COMSATS headquarters in Islamabad on Sunday. Almost fifteen Vice Chancellors from the public, private sector universities, senior academicians, and several former employees of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan attended this lecture. The seminar was jointly organized by Inter- University Consortium for the promotion of Social Sciences (IUCPSS), Commission on Science & Technology for Sustainable Development in the South, and International Center for Training and Development. In his seminar, Prof. Naqvi discussed various ranking parameters from the perspective of multiple yardsticks used by the global ranking organizations. According to him teaching, research, and institutional reputations are the significant factors Pakistani academic has to focus on. Mainly he appreciated new educational setups making fast progress. Dr. Naqvi also shared his experiences of serving the LUMS and bringing it in the ranking limelight. Dr. Naqvi seminar followed with recognition of universities achieving significant status in recent. National coordinator IUCPSS, Mr. Murtaza Noor, introduced consortium member universities rising steadily in their ranking status. Appreciation shields were awarded to International Islamic University, Quaid-e-Azam University, and the University of Malakand for their best performance in the year 2020 ranking. Before the seminar, Prof. Dr. Junaid Zaidi, Executive Director COMSATS, addressed the participants about the challenges Pakistani academia is facing for faculty and certain obstacles from the governance side. He advised the Vice Chancellors and academic leaders to devise strategies for accommodating intellectuals and skilled workforce in the country, particularly in the backdrop of CPEC. The ceremony concluded with a session on the appreciation of Prof. Dr. Sohail H Naqvi’s accomplishments in the area of academic leadership. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Vice Chancellor National Skills University Islamabad and Founding Chairperson of IUCPSS, give a brief overview of Dr. Naqvi’s vision on Universities Building Communities and patronization of Dr. Naqvi in the establishment of the IUCPSS. The citation for the award reads, “It’s a great day for the Inter-University Consortium for the Promotion of Social Science to celebrate the accomplishments of Prof. Dr. Syed Sohail Hassan Naqvi Rector of the University of Central Asia. We fully realize that even the best-written commendation about this academic leader can hardly touch ample corners of this highly dynamic stewardship in education. He believes in excellence and inspires contemporary academic leaders across the world with a triangle of beautiful words, “Just do it.” Pakistan is a fortunate country to have leaders like Prof. Naqvi, with whom we are all together. People in the higher education sector have beautiful memories of his real-time informed decision making and appropriate implementation.†Everyone in the seminar and recognition ceremony appreciated efforts of Mr. Murtaza Noor, National Coordinator, the IUCPSS for steering it successfully in spite of turbulent times. All the Vice Chancellors, along with Prof. Dr. Junaid Zaidi, Prof. Dr. Sohail Naqvi, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, founding chairperson of the IUCPSS urged the need for many more academic consortia like IUCPSS, an example to follow.
