Sindh’s pedagogues contest in new search committee
Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood interacts with teachers and students at a school in Islamabad on the first day of the reopening of educational institutions. PHOTO: NNI
A fresh controversy ruffling feathers within the local higher education circuit has emerged from policies surrounding the possible formation of the new search committee, set up for appointment of heads of Sindh’s government universities.
The source of resentment for many pedagogues, is the non-doctorate status of members of the new search committee, which they believe renders committee members unfit to interview PhD candidates for government institutions.
Academicians serving at varying levels, while drawing parallels, expressed that if such a culture is promoted in Sindh, “it’s not too long before university exams are set and conducted by college students and school students start showing up to assess college students.”
It should be noted that the provincial government has allegedly been trying to abolish the existing search committee, which majorly consists of members holding doctorates in their respective fields. In contrast to which, the new committee will consist of a non-PhD head and non-PhD permanent members. One of the primary responsibilities of the committee will be to interview candidates working as PhD professors in government universities and degree awarding institutes across Sindh and recommend their appointment as university vice chancellors.
The entire process, drawing the ire of various pedagogues associated with Sindh’s higher education, has been deemed unprecedented and is currently under dispute.
According to reports, a summary has been sent by the Universities and Boards Department to the controlling authority of Sindh Universities, i.e. the Sindh Chief Minister (CM), recommending him to abolish the existing search committee and set up a new search committee consisting of three permanent members.
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The search committee will be headed by Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairperson, while the other two members will include Secretary Sindh HEC and Secretary Universities and Boards. Whereas, non-permanent members will be subject specialists belonging to the respective university.
Bear in mind that the current Sindh HEC Chairperson is Dr Asim Hussain, who is completing the last six months of his second four-year term. Hussain too is an MBBS doctor lacking a PhD, whose career and experience although extensive, mostly relates to private institutions like Zia-ud-Din Medical University, where serves as the chancellor.
Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a section of Sindh’s university teachers contested the prospects of Hussain’s appointment as the head of the new search committee. “While Hussain lacks a doctorate, the HEC’s secretary and the Universities and Boards secretary are both bureaucrats,” they revealed. According to them, generally bureaucrats are not only non-PhDs, but often just graduate and pass a competitive exam to join the bureaucracy and progress on their service and training, which makes them a questionable choice for the position.
While on the other hand, in response to prevalent concerns Sindh Higher Education Commission Chairperson and probable search committee head Dr Asim Hussain remarked: “what difference does it make? It’s just a bunch of 17 to 18 people who apply for every university ad they see published. The same people will oppose it.”
Addressing his non-doctorate status, he said “then the Chief Minister is also a non-PhD. He conducts interviews before the appointment of candidates. He should not interview either.”
The HEC chair opining further said that he believes the vice chancellor should be from the administrative side rather than the academic side. Citing the example of IBA Sukkur and Sindh University Jamshoro, he claimed that Nisar Siddiqui and Mazhar-ul-Haq Siddiqui have performed well in these two universities respectively. “Both are non-PhDs and belong to the administrative side,” he said with confidence.
Responding to a question, Dr Asim maintained that the position of HEC Islamabad regarding PhD Vice Chancellor is not a rule but a guideline. “Many have come from China and Malaysia with PhDs. They have no productivity in our country,” he claimed.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2021.