Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A total of 5,621 students have completed their PhDs from HEC recognised universities across the country during the last five years, whereas a total of 61,899 students have also obtained their MS and M.Phil degrees from Pakistani universities.

According to an official document, a total of 22,815 female and 39,084 male students have completed their MS and M.Phil degrees from Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) recognised universities, whereas a total of 5,621 including 1,870 female 3,751 male students have completed their PhDs in the last five years.

The document further stated that the Pakistani universities produced 562 PhDs in Chemistry, 523 in language and literature, 440 in agriculture, 322 in regional studies, 316 in mathematics, 308 in engineering and technology, 301 in education , 260 in biology, 215 in pharmacy, 209 in physics and 206 in zoology.

In the awarding of PhD degrees by public sector universities, Karachi University is on top of the list with 872 PhDs which is being followed by the Punjab University with 782 PhD graduates. Moreover, the Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad and the University of Agriculture Faisalabad have also produced 550 and 447 PhDs in the last five years.

Around 381 PhDs have also been produced by the private sector universities including 47 PhDs by the National College of Business Administration & Economics, Lahore, 34 PhDs by the Foundation University Islamabad and 34 by the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology, Swabi.

It is a fact that in the first 55 years of Pakistan’s independence, a total of 3281 PhDs were awarded in Pakistani universities, but in the last five years 5621 PhDs came out which is more than what was recorded in the
first 55 years.

According to HEC’s website there are a total of 62 universities including 34 public sector and 28 private sector which are working in the country. However, 10 private sector and 11 public sector universities have failed to produce one PhD holder yearly in the last five years, which is a matter of concern.

A source inside the HEC briefed the Daily Times that there was a burden on public and private sector universities to launch MS and M.Phil programmes, but the universities are unable to initiate new degree programmes because they don’t have the required faculty members.

He claimed further that there were a large number of departments in the universities, which were offering MS and PhD. level programmes in the absence of required faculty members. But the HEC is also silent on this irregularity as the graduate level programmes are being considered as money making programmes.

Researchers believe that unemployment is a factor among several candidates, which tilt the youth towards higher studies i.e. MPhil, MS and PhD programmes.

Moreover, the Higher Education Commission has also introduced several indigenous scholarship programmes to motivate the students for pursuance of PhD level studies in the country i.e. indigenous scholarship programme, fee reimbursement programme etc.

On the other hand while talking to the Daily Times, Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy criticised the rapid growth of PhDs in the country and said; “We need to produce quality rather quantity as currently we are only producing quantity.”