Introduction

Growing population and energy demands, expanding food and fossil fuel needs, falling quality of life, extremism and inequality are major concerns of the world (Abas et al. 2015a, 2015b, 2017a, 2017b). War on terror and terrorist activities on certain areas of the globe lead to an increased mass immigration towards developed countries. Such a scenario quest for an appropriate and effective education system on planet Earth to solve the major challenges to humankind. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Nelson Mandela) and so is the power of the hands that create and spread it. The potential of the role of higher education (HE) and leadership has never been realized in the dissemination of knowledge and country development.
Higher education
With a sharp increase in learners, governments and Higher Education (HE) institutions all over the world have come under extreme pressure from learners and their families for better access to education. Research showed that the four overarching challenges faced by HE institutions are: maintaining and improving education quality, increasing the relevance of curriculum and coaching with market needs, and creating financial resources (Yasmin et al. 2017). Privatization and internationalization have, no doubt, become mantra of the day (Tilak 2015). The finances of HE are associated to marketing which amplified considerably with the recent transformation of HE. The drastic effects were the results of the intense rise of marketing and knowledge (Shahjahan, Kezar 2013). Reliance on corporate revenue in absence of policy may lead to distortion in research goals. Researchers investigated the problems and factors responsible for low efficiency of HE in different countries (Renehan 2015). Raffie A. Browne and Hong Shen (2017) examined the challenges of low performance of HE and found that issues like quality of education, approachability, location, institutional costs and unemployment of graduates affecting HE. While researchers felt it deem to increase the number of institutes to match the accessibility and to provide scholarship to meet the needs of the poor. Research also highlighted that a focus on theoretical knowledge only may take learners’ motivation away particularly in subjects like science and languages (Yasmin, Sohail 2018a, 2018b).
Pakistani context
Our poor people have no true representation in federal and provincial assemblies, and the Vice-Chancellors (VCs) are appointed on the political basis to support education privatization policies (Khanet al. 2015). VCs selection criteria are based on management experience instead of academic credentials. As long as the VCs in universities and executives in national organizations are not chosen on merit there is no hope of any positive change. The honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan has recently removed the VC of oldest and largest university of Pakistan (University of the Punjab) along with three medical and one Women University on the basis of ineligibility in terms of their qualification and illegal practices (Bilal 2018). Regenerative waves of academic entrepreneurial policies eventually become the victim of their irrationalities. Research on HE was mostly limited to administrative issues, challenges (Saint et al. 2003) while the role of leadership was ignored. It is necessary to revisit the role and responsibilities of our VCs in modern times. The present study would address through investigation the following research questions:
  1. How do head of departments perceive the present situation of engineering education in Pakistan?
  2. What is the perception of head of departments about the role of leadership in engineering education?