QAU chief wants: ‘doctors only’ faculty soon
Also criticises internal PhDs
Also criticises internal PhDs.
ISLAMABAD:
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) hopes to have an all PhD faculty soon so that quality and standards are not compromised in coming years.
Currently there are 260 faculty members in the university, 200 of whom hold doctorates. Within a year, some of them will either be enrolled in foreign or domestic doctoral programmes.
QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf shared this in an interview with The Express Tribune. “I am against the ‘inbreeding system’, where people get doctorates from the same institute where they teach,” he said, adding that pursuing degrees from some other local or foreign varsity would be preferable to this practice. He contended that for this, purpose they are in talks with Fulbright scholarship programme managers in Pakistan and the Higher Education Commission as well.
Ashraf, who used to head up Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur, further added that he is focusing on upgrading social sciences. He said this could be done through different means, but mostly by scholars from abroad with new thinking and ideas, along with foreign faculty appointments at the varsity for a semester or two.
“We are also in contact with the HEC and other countries for this and would avail any opportunity to hone the skills and abilities of the faculty,” he added.
He said the academia-industry gap was an area that needs to be looked into seriously. “I’ve heard the same thing in the US as well, where varsities are blamed for not doing research that is market or demand-oriented,” he said, explaining that this issue is not only confined to Pakistan, but an important aspect of research, which requires funding and resources.
Ashraf stated the varsity was working with the HEC to promote a research culture.
According to the VC’s office, in 2014, around 60 projects costing Rs342 million were submitted by the faculty, including four projects which cost Rs37 million.
Similarly, till December 2014, the university had 2,000 Mphil and 900 PhD candidates enrolled. It has produced 100 ‘doctors’ in natural, biological and social sciences.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2015.
Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) hopes to have an all PhD faculty soon so that quality and standards are not compromised in coming years.
Currently there are 260 faculty members in the university, 200 of whom hold doctorates. Within a year, some of them will either be enrolled in foreign or domestic doctoral programmes.
QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf shared this in an interview with The Express Tribune. “I am against the ‘inbreeding system’, where people get doctorates from the same institute where they teach,” he said, adding that pursuing degrees from some other local or foreign varsity would be preferable to this practice. He contended that for this, purpose they are in talks with Fulbright scholarship programme managers in Pakistan and the Higher Education Commission as well.
Ashraf, who used to head up Institute of Business Administration, Sukkur, further added that he is focusing on upgrading social sciences. He said this could be done through different means, but mostly by scholars from abroad with new thinking and ideas, along with foreign faculty appointments at the varsity for a semester or two.
“We are also in contact with the HEC and other countries for this and would avail any opportunity to hone the skills and abilities of the faculty,” he added.
He said the academia-industry gap was an area that needs to be looked into seriously. “I’ve heard the same thing in the US as well, where varsities are blamed for not doing research that is market or demand-oriented,” he said, explaining that this issue is not only confined to Pakistan, but an important aspect of research, which requires funding and resources.
Ashraf stated the varsity was working with the HEC to promote a research culture.
According to the VC’s office, in 2014, around 60 projects costing Rs342 million were submitted by the faculty, including four projects which cost Rs37 million.
Similarly, till December 2014, the university had 2,000 Mphil and 900 PhD candidates enrolled. It has produced 100 ‘doctors’ in natural, biological and social sciences.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2015.