ISLAMABAD: Around 126 PhD students dodged Higher Education Commission (HEC) as they declined to serve in Pakistan as per their signed agreement with the commission whereas the HEC has introduced three schemes to attract Pakistani PhD holders to come back and serve in the country. Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Balighur Rehman, while responding to a question asked by MNA Khalida Mansoor, stated that the 126 PhD scholars out of total 5,934 sent abroad by HEC for their studies have not returned to the county so far. The minister briefed the Lower House of the Parliament that as per the SOPs approved by the National Scholarship Management Committee, if a scholar is found in breach of bond or deal signed with the HEC, the commission would cancel his/her scholarship and lodge a criminal case against him. The expenses incurred on the scholar plus a penalty up to 25 percent is imposed on any defaulter or in case of his absence his guarantor is responsible to pay such dues, the minister added. However, a faculty member of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) requesting anonymity told Daily Times; “The figures which the minister stated are those who never came back to the country but the number is too high of those people who returned to the country but left due to the poor system of education and practices of the HEC.” He said, “If a person find a better opportunity in terms of financial as well as professional benefits then why he would stay here.” To overcome the issue of brain drain, the government of Pakistan through HEC has introduced three separate schemes to attract Pakistani PhD degree holders from abroad to serve in Pakistan. Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) is the programme which provides a chance to serve in public sector universities as full time faculty members whereas the Short Term Foreign Faculty Hiring Program (STFFHP) invites the PhD. scholars from reputed international universities and institutions to serve in Pakistani institutions for the period of one to two semesters. Furthermore, the HEC has introduced Visiting Scholar Programme (VSP), which invites the international scholars from highly reputed institutions to visit Pakistan for the period of two to eight weeks only. It is routine the students get scholarship thorough HEC and go abroad to pursue their higher studies by signing an agreement with the commission that they will return to the country and serve in public sector but few of them after completion of their degree declined to come back in the country citing multiple reasons. Daily Times has learnt in discussion with faculty members of different public sector universities that those students who breach their contract with HEC are those who receive a better opportunity abroad. While commenting on the issue, Dr Shahzad Hussain, a faculty member of National Defence University (NDU) said, “The students are more bound morally than legally that they should fulfill their contracts as many of them even were not in position to pursue their higher studies at the start of their degree programme. A better future is the right of everyone but they scholars should realise that they received the education from the public wealth.”