NUML students stage demo against varsity

Yasir Ilyas

ISLAMABAD, November 1, 2010: Students of National University of Modern Languages (NUML) who enrolled in MBA degree in August 2009 session staged a protest against faculty of Management Sciences and University Administration here on Monday.

Students alleged the management of the varsity of deceiving them. Numerous students, holding prospectus and Photostat copies of the advertisement of universities published in newspapers, were of the opinion that they were offered a two-year MBA degree programme back in August 2009 and now when they have passed almost three quarters of the degree, they have been told that they will have to complete three and half year degree programme as per instructions and revisited policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Different students, while talking to INFN, said that university management had never told them about the revisited policy of the HEC and they have been enrolled in two-year degree programme as offered by the university in June 2009 in the advertisements in different newspapers and prospectus of the varsity.

A students said, “Several other universities are still continuing the old two-year programme and they have implemented the policy on the following badges, but here in our university, the management has imposed the policy on us who already are in the second last semester.”

Students were holding different placards and charts on which different demands and slogans were written. They were chanting slogans like “We want –justice”. Students were firm to protest until their demand is fulfilled.

Students further said that extension of the said degree programme will bring serious problems for the students. It would certainly add to the burden of the parents who are financing their education.

On other hand, Rector of the NUML Brigadier (Retd) Aziz Ahmed, talking to INFN, said, “This particular badge was given an option either to continue three and half year degree programme or to leave the university. We will refund fee they paid. More than 50 students, in response to offer made, gave up the degree and these students decided to continue their own, they were informed about the policy of the HEC and now after one and half year they are demanding of two-year degree.”

He further said that university has no objection whatsoever to grant two-year degree if these students succeeded in convincing the HEC. In answer to a question, Mr. Aziz said, “HEC has asked for explanation from other universities which continued old policy, and we can not do any thing except following HEC instructions.”

Mr. Naseer Rajput, the Head of Department of Management Sciences, said, “How can we award them a degree just after completing two years when it takes three and half year to complete the course.” He further said that such a degree will not meet market requirements, so they had to take the decision for the sake of better future of the students.