Daily Times

Proposals from Quaid-e-Azam University do not seem to move the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), which appears reluctant in offering a degree program in International Relations in its colleges, Daily Times has learnt.

According to the information available, only nine out of 32 Federal Government Degree Colleges and FDE Model Colleges in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) offer master’s degree programs in addition to the bachelors’ program in some disciplines.

With the ever-increasing number of university applications interested in the subject of International Relation (IG), the nationally acclaimed QAU offered the FDE to start a degree level programme in some of its colleges. Yet, the directorate authorities have not paid any heed toward the offered opportunity.

In a letter written to FDE Director General last month, QAU’s School of Politics and International Relation (SPIR) asserted, “Aftermath of introducing BS programs by Higher Education Commission (HEC) at college level, every year SPIR receives about 3000 admission applications and we are able to entertain top only 100 students while the rest of the students are compelled to go to private sector universities or colleges.”

It further stated that “in order to tap aforementioned huge strength of students moving toward private sector, the SPIR take this prospect to offer you to start BS-IR, which is equivalent to master’s degree, in federal colleges of ICT in fall 2019.”

As most of ICT colleges are being run academically by the QAU, the letter maintained, the start of IR would be welcoming as well cause of facilitation for the students.

The field of IR was said to have gained importance as an academic discipline as well as an employment provider in different sectors, and was being taught in almost all major HEC recognized universities in the country.

A SPIR official, who did not wish to be named, exclaimed that if the directorate availed the offer, the program could benefit thousands of students in the capital. It would also save their revenues as, he explained, the private universities charge heavy amount of fees.

He said that starting an IR program would have also help a large number of this university graduates in the discipline avail a chance to get job over there. He suggested that the concerned authorities in the FDE as well as in the education ministry should deliberate upon this matter seriously.

When contacted, FDE Director General, Ali Ahmed Kharal, expressed ignorance over the matter. “We receive many such letters on a daily basis”, he claimed.

When asked about the master’s degree programs in ICT colleges, Kharral said “I do not remember exactly”.

Interestingly, Kharal himself is the principal of Islamabad Model College for Boys (G-6/3) and works as the DG on an additional charge. Another official found it very surprising that a person with roots in academia and an administrative control of over 423 educational institutions is least bothered to review a strategy deemed progressive for the system.

The FDE runs affairs of 423 educational institutions in ICT, which include as many as 20 Model colleges.

Published in Daily Times, February 19^th 2019.