THE University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Lahore, started a four-year degree programme (BS Hons) in Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2007. On the very first day, the dean told students that they all were lucky they had been enrolled in that programme and were pioneers of that degree in Pakistan and there would be jobs for them after the completion of their studies.

Students were excited to be enrolled in Fisheries and Aquaculture, thinking their future was secure. But when they stepped into professional life they were frustrated because there were no jobs.

If any job was announced through the PPSC in the fisheries department, it was typically in zoology’s domain. The basic reason is that the PPSC paper is always related to zoology and there are only seven or eight questions related to fisheries out of 100.

After charging a high amount of fees from middle-class students, UVAS realised that there was no scope for this degree. Now UVAS has converted this degree into Applied Zoology after three batches.

For earlier batches, they offered a one-year deficiency programme in zoology that is never equal to the degree of typical zoologists. They also misled students at the time when they were applying for admission.

Students took admission in the Lahore campus but after one year they were told that they had to go to the Patoki campus for the next three years to complete their degrees. Thus many female students left UVAS because their family did not allow them to stay in a hostel. In 2014, UVAS announced the job of a lecturer in the Ravi campus, Patoki. I applied for that post and also cleared the test. I was the only MPhil candidate out of five selected for the interview. I also had the highest marks in the test. My interview went well but an MSc student was recruited.

Sadar Aslam

Lahore

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2015

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