KU’s decision to award honorary degrees generates controversy

Two sitting syndicate members to get honoris causa today

KARACHI:

The Karachi University's (KU) decision to award honorary degrees to two of its sitting syndicate members, Sardar Yasin Malik and Haji Hanif Tayyab, has generated a controversy among faculty members.

Angered by the decision, some office-bearers of the KU Teachers' Society (Kuts) termed it unprecedented and based on 'conflict of interest' as the body has nominated its own members for the award.



Addressing a press conference at KU Staff Club, Kuts president Shakeelur Rehman Farooqi, flanked by other faculty members, said awarding honorary Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) degrees to two sitting syndicate members will be the first such case in the varsity's history and this 'unfair' practice will set a wrong precedent. Kuts has termed the move a 'shameful' act, in which sitting members of the syndicate have 'lobbied' to award the honorary doctorate degree to themselves.

He criticised university high-ups for awarding the degrees to Malik and Tayyab in a special convocation ceremony to be held on Wednesday (today) at Governor House, Karachi. He added that KU has been a source of knowledge and whoever tries to tarnish the dignity of this 'great' institution has to first face the teachers' society.

KUTS divided

The controversial decision of awarding the degrees has, however, divided Kuts members. In a statement, Moiz Khan, the body's secretary, claimed that the press conference held by some members of the teachers' society was their individual decision.

He said a large number of teachers stands with him and believes any disagreement among the teachers must be solved at the forum of the teachers' society. He added that such acts will only promote differences instead of unity. Khan stated that the stance of Kuts is decided in the meetings of teachers' society instead of on an individual basis.



Governor's 'favouritism'

Kuts president criticised the fact that while the chancellor of KU, Sindh Governor Ishratul Ebad Khan, makes excuses for not attending the varsity's annual convocation, he is now organising special convocations at his office-cum-residence. He claimed the teachers were deliberately kept in the dark over the decision-making and were only invited to attend the ceremony only a day before the special convocation.

"It is disgraceful for us to see such days in the history of this institution when the great award is being used to please some individuals," lamented Farooqi. "The doctorate degrees are [supposed to be] only issued to highly deserving individuals who have achieved tremendous distinctions in their respective fields."

Farooqi went on to censure authorities for rotating the same members in the syndicate and added that there are other notable intellectual academics in the city who deserve to be members of the syndicate. "Such controversial actions portray the university in a negative light," he said. He demanded the governor and KU vice-chancellor Dr Muhammad Qaiser to revisit their decision of awarding honorary degrees to the said individuals.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2016.