Reforming Doctoral Education in Pakistan |
Doctoral education is the bedrock of any higher education system. Research is considered a defining feature of doctoral education. However, most universities, though not all, lack the resources to produce competitive doctoral scholars. Consequently, many scholars struggle to find relevant employment. Moreover, when universities, especially those in the private sector, prioritise revenue generation over rigour in doctoral education, its underlying philosophy dies. As a result, many scholars consider buying a degree rather than earning it in the true sense.
One of our PhD students also regurgitated the above-mentioned context: “When I give full attention to study ,my employer complains and I even fail to pay semester fee, but when I choose to please my employer, my grades suffer.” Moreover, the practice of functioning like visiting students is also not uncommon among doctoral scholars. They remain part-time students and are frequently absent, even during doctoral coursework. However, when they are on a research project, the scenario is further aggravated.
Annual PhD awards have more than doubled over a decade without effective quality assurance.
Annual PhD awards have more than doubled over a decade without effective quality assurance.
Perhaps such are the dynamics of doctoral education that the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, constituted the national strategic task force for doctoral education reform in January 2026. The task force was convened by Dr Sohail H. Naqvi, a member of the commission, and included representatives from the provincial higher education commissions, universities, quality assurance bodies, industry, and doctoral students. The core purpose of this taskforce was to assess the quality, relevance,........