Breaking Barriers: First Nursing Academic Appointed to UHS Lahore Syndicate

The recent appointment of Professor Samina Kaosar as a member of the syndicate of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore is a significant milestone for nursing education in Pakistan. Professor Kaosar, the Head of the Institute of Nursing at UHS, is now authorized to affiliate nursing institutions across Punjab and has a unique opportunity to help reshape the crises-ridden nursing education in the country.

This appointment is particularly noteworthy as Professor Kaosar is the first nursing academic from a public university to be appointed as a member of the syndicate. Her nomination is a recognition of the critical role that nurses play in public health and the need to have their representation in decision-making bodies.

The appointment of Professor Kaosar is not the first time that the recognition of nurses as major stakeholders in public health has been raised. In February 2020, Dr. Rafat Jan and the Director of Nursing Sindh, along with the Vice-Chancellors of public sector universities in Sindh, proposed that every public sector health sciences university should accommodate its adjacent Nursing Institutes Director/ HOD Nursing in their respective syndicates.

Unfortunately, this proposal could not be implemented. Professor Kaosar's elevation has rekindled hope that such proposals will come to fruition, and that nursing education will receive the much-needed attention it deserves.

The appointment of a nursing academic as a member of the syndicate of a prominent university is a significant step towards promoting nursing education in Pakistan and ensuring that the nursing profession is adequately represented in decision-making processes.

This development is not only a win for Professor Kaosar and UHS Lahore but also for the nursing academia across Pakistan. It is a recognition of the vital role nurses play in public health and the need to support and invest in nursing education. As we celebrate this historic development, we must also remember that there is still a long way to go in promoting nursing education and ensuring that nurses are valued and adequately supported in their profession.

Overall, the appointment of Professor Samina Kaosar as a member of the syndicate of UHS Lahore is a significant milestone for nursing education in Pakistan. It is a recognition of the critical role nurses play in public health and the need to have their representation in decision-making bodies. We must continue to support and invest in nursing education to ensure that the nursing profession is adequately represented and valued.

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