The Role of Vice Chancellors to Promote Higher Education in Pakistan: A Critical Review of Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan’s Reforms, 2002

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the reforms introduced by Higher Education Commission Pakistan (HEC) in 2002 about selection criteria of Vice Chancellors in public sector universities of Pakistan. The focus of this study is an evaluation of divergent views and concerns of the community about this new system in the province of Punjab as a case study. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world (Nelson Mandela).” Higher education plays a vital role in knowledge creation and dissemination to develop individuals, institutions, societies and nations. The role of an exceptional academic leadership is very decisive to promote higher education. Vice chancellor as an academic leader is a very significant position, who runs academic institutions and he/she is at the core of organizational development, individual development and eventually society’s development. A VC job requires an extraordinary individual with exceptional capabilities. The selection procedure of VC therefore, deserves great attention. This study also examines the institutional context in the light of this new framework of reforms and highlights the major problems to be addressed. The future researchers are invited to test the findings empirically and may be replicated in other provinces of Pakistan.Higher education, vice chancellor, reforms, academic leadership, public universities