Brain drain: HEC fails to accommodate PhD scholars in varsities

Govt spends millions on PhDs but fails to regularise their services

ISLAMABAD: As many as 500 PhDs who have completed their higher studies from both abroad and within the country, have been left running from pillar to post for teaching portfolios or research positions by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The HEC had promised these scholars that jobs would be waiting for them at universities across the country once they completed
their doctorates.

Lamenting their  plight, PhD scholars noted that the HEC had signed agreements and bonds with the management of universities’ and scholars under which those travelling abroad for studies were bound to return to the country, stay for five years in addition to teaching at universities for a year. But it seems that the move was in vain as scholars complained that have been unemployed for a while.

Universities are bound to induct and provide such scholars with jobs by advertising positions in national dailies.

The PhD graduates, who had completed their studies abroad on government-provided scholarships, expressed resentment that HEC had failed to adjust them, even on
intern basis.

At the moment, there are as many as 10,000 PhD scholars in the country pointing out that there was also a pressing need for 38,000 additional such scholars as stipulated by the HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad during the recently held “Vision 2025 conference”.

Dr Shehri - an unemployed PhD degree holder said that if HEC was not well-positioned towards providing jobs to the scholars, it should not have bound them bound to return.

“As many as $1,500 are spent as monthly stipend on a scholar for studying abroad besides other expenses, while those who completed their PhD degrees in the country were also sent abroad for six months for research work incurring heavy expenses,” a scholar Dr Syeda Samra told.

Meanwhile, President All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association Dr Kaleemullah told the media that HEC despite investing millions of rupees on these scholars, was unable to adjust them in the academic institutions.

During the honorary period, the scholars are paid Rs130,000 each per month by HEC, equal to the pay of a BPS-19 professor. But thereafter they were never inducted in the universities and remain jobless.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2017.