Appointment of Vice Chancellors

---

On April 20, the daily Prothom Alo published an advertisement of the ministry of education inviting applications from interested candidates for appointment of vice-chancellors of seven public universities in Bangladesh. Another advertisement was published in the Daily Star of August 07, 2008 for appointment of Vice-Chancellors of five public universities. It was for the first time in the history of higher education at university level, in Bangladesh that advertisements were published in the newspapers, seeking honest, sincere and dynamic persons with leadership and management skills for appointment as the Vice Chancellors. Requirements are simple but cover almost everything. The most important point was that there was no educational barrier. According to the first advertisement, senior teachers from public as well as private universities could apply. Undoubtedly, it was a good initiative. It is learnt that the decision to advertise the posts was taken because of bad examples created by some vice-chancellors drawn from the public universities. The post of the VC is one of the most dignified positions, if not the most dignified position recognised the world over. Importance should be given on that point from all corners.
By now, the Vice-Chancellors of seven public universities have been appointed. They are all from the public universities. But the selection criterion was not known to the applicants.
It would not be wrong to expect that the applications will be invited by the Search Committee for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellors. An applicant should have faced the committee to explain the justification of his application. The procedure could be more transparent to keep the search committee above criticisms.
It was necessary to avoid the repetition of the unpleasant experience of the past, resultant from wrong selection process followed by the search committee.
Lessons learnt from previous examples relating to faulty procedures of appointment clearly indicate the prestige of the teaching community as well as the education ministry and the government at the national and international levels suffered badly as a result.

Professor Lutfor Rahman
H-93, Road, 9-A
Dhanmondi
Emil: lutfor.aait@gmail.com