Faced with dwindling student interest, the University of Peshawar (UoP) has taken a decisive step to consolidate its academic structure. The syndicate, the university's highest decision-making body, approved the merger of 20 departments during a meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Johar Ali on Tuesday. This move, driven by financial constraints and low enrolment, marks a significant shift in the institution's operational strategy. Main Developments The approved mergers will reshape several academic disciplines, with the final ratification pending in the university senate. A teacher from the historic institution explained that students are increasingly avoiding public sector universities because their programmes do not align with local and global market demands. During the last admission session, most universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa repeatedly ran advertisements in newspapers and on websites to attract applicants, a clear sign of the enrolment crisis. Among the notable consolidations, the department of plant biodiversity will merge with botany to form the institute of botany and plant biodiversity. Similarly, urban and regional planning will combine with geography and geomatics, creating a single department of geography, geomatics and urban planning. The Persian department will be absorbed into Urdu, resulting in the department of Urdu and Persian. Read also: Kohistan honour killing probe widens as police seek second victim In the social sciences, sociology, gender studies, and social anthropology will be unified into one department, tentatively named either social and cultural studies or sociology, social anthropology and gender studies. Pashto Academy will merge with the department of Pashto, becoming the Pashto department and academy for research and literature. Regional studies, international relations, history, and philosophy will also be combined into a single entity called the department of international relations, history and philosophy. The department of Seerat will merge with Islamiat, forming the department of Islamic and Seerat Studies. Additionally, two BS programmes—human nutrition and dietetics and public health—will be transferred from the College of Home Economics to the Institute of Health Sciences, as they align more closely with allied health sciences. BS fashion design, interior design, and arts and design will be consolidated under one academic unit to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and optimize resource use. Background The drive for consolidation stems from a directive issued by the minister for higher education, Meena Khan Afridi, during a previous senate meeting. He instructed the university administration to merge under-enrolled departments to alleviate the financial burden on the cash-strapped institution. Following this, a committee was formed to review enrolment data, faculty-to-student ratios, departmental salary expenditures, and per-student costs. The committee conducted multiple meetings and proposed a systematic consolidation plan based on enrolment trends, academic relevance, and programme viability. UoP spokesperson Numan Jan clarified that the proposal originated from the university's academic council and was later endorsed by the syndicate. He emphasized that merged departments belong to the same faculties, such as Seerat and Islamiat, ensuring academic coherence. Why It Matters This restructuring reflects a broader challenge facing public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where student interest is waning due to perceived incompatibility with market needs. By merging departments, UoP aims to reduce operational costs and enhance efficiency, but the move also signals a shift in academic priorities. The consolidation could lead to a more streamlined curriculum, though it may raise concerns about the preservation of specialized disciplines. For students, the change may mean fewer programme choices, but the university assures that over 70 BS programmes will remain. The transfer of teaching faculty will be managed based on workload and programme placement, potentially affecting job roles and departmental dynamics. This initiative could serve as a model for other cash-strapped universities in the region, potentially reshaping higher education in Pakistan. What's Next The merger plan now awaits final approval from the university senate, which will formalize the changes. The university will also need to implement the transfer of faculty and programmes, ensuring a smooth transition. Observers will be watching to see if these consolidations improve enrolment and financial stability, or if they spark further debate about the future of public higher education in the province.