ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: The government has decided to start a Rs3.2 billion “Foreign Faculty Hiring Programme” under which 300 foreign professors, associate professors and assistant professors will be employed annually in disciplines relevant to economic and social development of the country.

Official sources told Dawn here on Thursday that the foreign faculty will be offered handsome emoluments in Pakistan’s context. PhD degree holders, specifically those having extensive academic experience, will be recruited.

These foreign-based experts participating in teaching programmes in Pakistani universities would bring with them a modern and progressive outlook, with the latest knowledge in priority areas where expertise is lacking within the country.

The timeframe of the proposed project is such that it will ensure maximum coordination with the indigenous PhD programme.

The visiting academics will educate and train newly inducted scholars under this programme, generating a new base of educators trained in the international standards.

The public-sector universities would utilize expertise of the foreign faculty. A Project Management Unit (PMU) will run the programme and its execution will take place in need assessment, analysis and determination, faculty identifica-

tion & selection and implementation.

It not clear, though, how the hired faculty would advance the pedagogical skills of the students while teaching specific subject/topic at the Bachelor/Master/PhD level.

It is also feared that the proposed programme would bring a sense of discrimination amongst the existing faculty working on normal salary packages.

It has also been noted that the composition of PMU is not broad-based, ignoring representations of the ministry of education and provincial education departments.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) would formally approve the programme in its next meeting.

The Planning Commission chief has proposed that the foreign faculty should only be hired to supervise scholars to be trained under local PhD programmes and the requirement of the faculty be determined on case-to-case basis (merit rate criteria).

He was of the view that JIK Institute should also be included in the recipient list. He said the foreign faculty should also supervise the local PhD students as foreign supervisors.