A team from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has conducted a comprehensive governance review at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) in Rawalpindi. The visit was part of the Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP) Project, a World Bank–funded initiative aimed at improving governance, autonomy, and accountability in selected universities across the country.
The governance review, overseen by FJWU’s Quality Enhancement Cell under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bushra Mirza and project focal person Prof. Dr. Bushra Yasmin, is part of HEC’s efforts to assess and strengthen management practices in higher education institutions nationwide. The review team, consisting of Prof. Dr. Syed Afaq Haider from IM Sciences, Peshawar, and governance consultant Mr. Furqan Ali, engaged extensively with university stakeholders during their two-day visit.
On the first day, the team held meetings with key administrative officials including the Registrar, Additional Treasurer, Controller of Examinations, Director of the Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), representatives from Human Resources and Establishment, and the Planning and Development Office. These sessions focused on evaluating existing structures in strategic planning, financial management, and human resources.
The second day included discussions with academic leadership, including Deans, Heads of Departments, faculty members, hostel management, student affairs staff, career counseling representatives, admissions, and members of the Quality Enhancement Cell. Importantly, student representatives also provided input, ensuring that feedback from across the university community was considered.
Throughout these consultations, the HEC team assessed FJWU’s current governance practices, identifying strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement. Recommendations focused on enhancing strategic, academic, financial, and human resource governance, with the goal of better aligning FJWU’s systems with national standards and the broader objectives of the HEDP project.
The visit underscored FJWU’s continued commitment to institutional improvement and to supporting national reforms that aim to raise the quality and effectiveness of higher education in Pakistan.
