IN 1970 I went to Winnipeg, a city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. This was in connection with promotion of a boxing match between Mohammad Ali and a Canadian fighter George Cheval which I was promoting.

My host in Winnipeg asked me if I could join him and his wife for lunch. I gladly agreed and we went to a restaurant. Over there I asked my host: ‘Why areJews so rich?’ His answer was: ‘Some Jews are rich but most Jews are just like ordinary people. They drive taxis, they do construction work and all other kinds of chores which ordinary people do.”

At this juncture my host’s wife, who was a Christian, spoke. She said that whenever her mother-in-law visits her, she advised her children whatever they do in life they must get the highest academic degree in that field. If they do that, then the world would need them a lot more than they would need the world and that would be because of their knowledge.

I agree with that advice and hope that a maximum number of our children get the highest degrees in whatever field they choose in life.

President Pervez Musharraf appointed Dr Attaur Rahman chairman of the Higher Education Commission. He also gave Dr Rahman full excess to as much money as he needed to complete his vision. Access to money was as important as the appointment of Dr Rahman.

One of the first actions which he took was to send 5,000 Pakistani students abroad for PhDs. These degrees were going to be in different fields which ranged from sciences to social issues and many other fields. The general perception is that the students were selected on merit. They were sent to internationally well-known universities with a condition that an article of these students must be published in one of the well-known magazines of the relevant field.

These students are due back in Pakistan in 2013 or earlier. We will have real PhDs in them. We already have some but not too many. I feel that even after the arrival of these 5,000 scholars, we will not have enough PhDs in every field.

In my opinion, another one or two batches of qualified students must be sent abroad to study for doctorates. I would say that our focus must remain on the fact that we stop begging and live within our means. We can’t be beggars and sovereign at the same time.

AFTAB ALAM Vancouver, Canada