PhD Scholars Yearning To Provide Them Jobs In Local Universities

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Nov, 2019 ) :More than 1200 PhDs, who had completed their higher studies from both abroad and within the country, had been yearned for jobs at teaching portfolios or research positions in universities across the country.

They were dreamed to be employed at their country's institutions once they completed their doctorates.

Lamenting their dilemma, PhD scholars observed that the HEC had signed agreements and bonds with the management of universities' and scholars under which those traveling abroad for studies were bound to return to the country, stay for five years in addition to teaching at local universities for three year. It is worth mentioning here that it is up to them to get jobs in the country to fulfill the commitment of the HEC to teach in country's higher educational institutions. But it seems that the move was in vain as scholars complained that have been unemployed.

Universities were bound to induct and provide such scholars with jobs by advertising positions in national dailies. The higher educational institutions were also bound to maintain students to teachers' ratio which means one teacher for twenty students.

The PhD graduates, who had completed their studies abroad on government-provided scholarships, expressed resentment that they were not being adjusted even on intern basis.

Dr Shehri � an unemployed PhD degree holder observed that if HEC was not well-positioned towards providing jobs to the scholars, it should not have bound them to return.

He said that Pakistan had produced 15000 PhD scholars since its inception, adding that at the moment, there were as many as 10,000 PhD scholars in the country.

The scholars were being overage while fulfilling the contract of not to travel out of country for five years, he lamented.

Meanwhile, President Young PhD Scholars Association Dr Sher Afzal told APP that HEC was investing millions of rupees on these scholars but they were unable to get jobs in the academic institutions.

During the honorary period, HEC had also reduced the honorarium of scholars from Rs 130,000 to Rs 100,000 each per month. But thereafter they were never inducted in the universities and remain jobless, he added.

However, General Secretary Young PhD Scholars Association Dr Faheem Khan while talking to APP said that many universities had vacant posts but the university management despite advertising the posts the management was using different tactics to delay the process as it was not holding the selection boards.

He stressed the HEC Chief to provide equal opportunities to the scholars as per agreement signed with them.

HEC, he said, had also issued a press release stating that the government will provide unemployment allowance to PhD scholars till getting jobs, but unfortunately, it could not fulfill its promise.

When contacted, an official of the HEC said that in order to provide job opportunities to unemployed PhD scholars, the Higher education Commission (HEC) had collected the credentials' record of around one thousands PhD scholars across the country aiming at awarding them employment opportunities.

According to an official, HEC would deploy these unemployed PhD scholars in different universities of the country.

In this regard, HEC has initiated country-wide project for providing jobs to unemployed PhD's and award them payments for their research work.

However, Federal Minister for Education, Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood had stated that the government was devising a strategy to create jobs for PhD degree-holders in the country.

Lamenting over the unemployed PhD's in the country, he assured the government was evolving policies to give jobs to them.

"We were making efforts to promote research culture in universities as there was a need to bring reforms in curriculum," the minister said.

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