Karachi University (KU) held its 22nd convocation among the odds and evens in which over 9,700 students received their degrees on Saturday.
Around 103 gold medals were awarded and the girls bagged around 80% per cent of both degrees and the medals. The chancellor of the university, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, was conspicuous by his absence. It was the fourth consecutive convocation that he missed despite being invited as the chief guest. However, the provincial minister of education, Pir Mazharul Haq, received the honour in the governor’s place.
The expansive campus was adorned with thousands of mercury bulbs, from the entrance to Valika Cricket Stadium. At the stadium, a marquee was spread to accommodate around 4,000 guests.
However, what started as a memorable moment for many was soured when more than 50 students, dressed in convocation robes and caps, gathered in the middle of marquee to protest. The students were all from the Bachelor of Studies (BS) programme, and toppers in their departments - 58 in total, with Cumulative Grade Pont Ratios (CGPR) as high as 3.88.
One of the protesters, Sara Khan, from the psychology department said that the university was awarding a gold medal to another student, Madiha Shaukat, who had a CGPR of only 3.21, while she had the highest score. “This is sheer injustice on their part,” Khan said.
More than 1,700 students took admission in the BS programme in 2007. But when they graduated in 2010, only 543 of them opted for converting their degrees to the masters/honours programme. Interestingly, all the gold medals were awarded to the masters students while completely ignoring those in the BS programme.
The pro chancellor of KU, Pir Mazharul Haq, said that he had thought that the university administration was responsible for the disorder during the convocation. “It was explained to me that the university signed agreements with organisations which demanded masters degrees,” said Haq. “The university did not select the gold medalists itself.”
Haq said that universities cannot spend money on preparing gold medals which are worth around a million rupees. “The university acts according to the agreements which it signs with other organisations.”
While the education minister, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan and a philanthropist, Sardar Mohammad Yasin Malik each offered a gold medal for the protesters, the vice chancellor, Prof. Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui announced special merit certificates to simmer down the protesters.
In his convocation address, the vice chancellor said that Karachi University saw a significant era of growth in almost all academic disciplines, research and infrastructural development. “One of the most impressive facts is the number of PhDs that the university produces,” he said. “During the last two years, 315 research scholars received doctorates.”
He said that the university was ranked among the top universities of world for the last three consecutive years. “While in Asian universities, KU stands at 138th place among the top 425 universities,” he said.
The vice chancellor said that the number of on-campus enrollments increased to more than 25,000 students in 2011 from a mere 17,000 students in 2004. More than 64,000 students study in institutions affiliated with the university now, as compared to only 46,000 six years back.
Faiz Rasool, a student who couldn’t see, received first position in faculty of Arts but also received two gold medals. “I thought I can achieve something in sociology because of my condition,” said Rasool. “And I did it.” He has been appointed as a lecturer at Allama Iqbal College in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2011.
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Yes, the conversion thing is a blunder plus ill-managed. But the problem of medals is more related to the sound sleep KU authorities have been enjoying through the entire period of 4 years since BS was introduced in 2007. They should have had got it recognized by the sponsors and made all essential arrangements for awarding the BS students. If they want the two systems of BS and BA/MA to run parallel, then the awarding must also be parallel. If KU allowed the students to convert, sponsors were one of the major reasons. Plus, even if a student received a medal by competing among 5 students, he/she has withdrew the BS degree and in no way competing with the other BS students. A new result has been calculated separately.
The problem is that KU allowed BS graduates an option to 'convert degree into BA/MA, AFTER graduation. So for instance, in a class of 40, only 5 converted, the medal would go to one of the 5, either he or she was the class highest or not. Legally speaking, KU blundered by allowing graduates to convert because they were enrolled on BS.