ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The long-awaited Rector position in COMSATS University Islamabad is likely to be filled eventually as an interview for the post of rector has been started on Wednesday, as around 38 candidates have been issued call letters.
The rector position fell vacant in March 2017 and the interim charge was assigned to the senior-most professor Dr Raheel Qamar and no permanent appointment has been made up till now.
As per the set rule, within the prescribed period of six months, a permanent rector would be in place in accordance with para 15 of Employees Service Statues 2; however, all the affairs are being run on adhoc basis due to which often problems surfacing in the highly reputed university.
Well-placed sources told this scribe that the interviews for the post of Rector COMSATS University Islamabad will be held on 5th and 6th February 2020.
They said that a total of 38 candidates have been issued call letters for the interview, adding that a special meeting of Senate is likely to be held on February 7 on one point agenda i.e. Rector’s appointment.
Sources said that the search committee is going to finalize five names which would be presented before the Senate for its consideration and the Chancellor will appoint one of them as Rector of CUI. There would be a debate on five names considering their merits and demerits.
Academic Staff Association through a letter addressed to the convener of the search committee, has demanded that an academic of high integrity should be considered for this prestigious position and candidates with the charges of plagiarism and misuse of authority should be avoided.
After letter by the Academic Staff Association COMSATS University Islamabad regarding appointment of non-controversial and eligible reputed academic as Rector COMSATS through transparent and merit-based appointment mechanism, Dr Arshad Saleem Bhatti senior Dean COMSATS University Islamabad and candidate showed his reservation over criteria and guidelines for shortlisting of candidates for the post of Rector COMSATS through a letter written to the members of the Senate of the COMSATS University Islamabad.
