Doctor who?: KU teachers continue to protest against Malik’s degree
Chancellor has the authority to decide who should get a degree.
KARACHI:
On the second day of the protest against awarding Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik an honorary doctorate, more than 217 faculty members of the University of Karachi (KU) signed a petition by the KU Teachers Guild (KUTG) on Friday.
The guild’s chief and KU Teachers Society (KUTS) general secretary Dr Shakeel Farooqui said that they hoped to reach out to all teachers on the last day of their campaign (today). “By signing the petition they have declared their resentment and have announced that awarding the degree to him [Malik] was an illegal act,” he said.
According to Farooqui, if a majority of the teachers signed the petition they would be able to take back the degree from the federal minister. The KU teachers society president Dr Abid Hasnain said their executive council had condemned the decision in a meeting held on October 8 and it was important for the teachers to stick together in this situation. “The conferring of the honorary degree was a covert and hasty action on the part of the varsity’s administration. Had they presented the proposal before the syndicate, it would have been rejected,” he said. “I believe that all teachers should protest and campaign against this.”
On the other hand, the pro-vice chancellor Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi told The Express Tribune that the vice-chancellor had to do whatever the chancellor wanted. She added that the decision to give Malik the degree was initiated from Governor House and the vice-chancellor had to follow through orders. According to Dr Kazmi, the degree cannot be taken back as it was awarded by the chancellor. She added that the faculty had a right to protest and that the KU syndicate would be told of the chancellor’s decision as a mere formality.
Only one elected member of the syndicate, Chemistry Professor Dr Majid Mumtaz of Tanzeem-i Asatza Pakistan attended the convocation ceremony at Governor House. “Under normal circumstances, the decision to confer an honorary degree should be moved through the syndicate for the approval and then the chancellor - not the other way round,” she said. “However, the university’s code gives the chancellor and vice chancellor the authority to decide who should get the honorary degree as they head the syndicate.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2011.
On the second day of the protest against awarding Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik an honorary doctorate, more than 217 faculty members of the University of Karachi (KU) signed a petition by the KU Teachers Guild (KUTG) on Friday.
The guild’s chief and KU Teachers Society (KUTS) general secretary Dr Shakeel Farooqui said that they hoped to reach out to all teachers on the last day of their campaign (today). “By signing the petition they have declared their resentment and have announced that awarding the degree to him [Malik] was an illegal act,” he said.
According to Farooqui, if a majority of the teachers signed the petition they would be able to take back the degree from the federal minister. The KU teachers society president Dr Abid Hasnain said their executive council had condemned the decision in a meeting held on October 8 and it was important for the teachers to stick together in this situation. “The conferring of the honorary degree was a covert and hasty action on the part of the varsity’s administration. Had they presented the proposal before the syndicate, it would have been rejected,” he said. “I believe that all teachers should protest and campaign against this.”
On the other hand, the pro-vice chancellor Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi told The Express Tribune that the vice-chancellor had to do whatever the chancellor wanted. She added that the decision to give Malik the degree was initiated from Governor House and the vice-chancellor had to follow through orders. According to Dr Kazmi, the degree cannot be taken back as it was awarded by the chancellor. She added that the faculty had a right to protest and that the KU syndicate would be told of the chancellor’s decision as a mere formality.
Only one elected member of the syndicate, Chemistry Professor Dr Majid Mumtaz of Tanzeem-i Asatza Pakistan attended the convocation ceremony at Governor House. “Under normal circumstances, the decision to confer an honorary degree should be moved through the syndicate for the approval and then the chancellor - not the other way round,” she said. “However, the university’s code gives the chancellor and vice chancellor the authority to decide who should get the honorary degree as they head the syndicate.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2011.