Many in our academia who sell books, blogs, articles by describing themselves as PhD scholars even when they are not.
LAHORE: Our education system is a much-stained one. However, the country’s higher education sector was, till recently, relatively better off. Now, this sector seems to be going through a crisis in the form of the large and growing number of fake universities and forged degrees. It is agonising to see so-called PhDs carrying out sham research and tutoring rubbish. There are so many personalities in our academia who sell books, blogs and articles by describing themselves as PhD scholars even when they are not. It is downright fraudulent when they make money off a naive public in such a manner. Truth hurts but this is how several academics are working over here in Pakistan.
These fake PhD degree-holders are damaging the integrity of the Pakistani academia. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has done a commendable job during the past decade by producing a bright lot of PhD scholars. It is important to differentiate between fake and real PhD degree-holders. It is high time the HEC and other authorities concerned take stern action against these so-called scholars.
Amir Ikram
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2013.
