Apropos the article ‘Where is academia?’ (Nov 25). Through my own university experiences I believe the academia is not in good shape.

During my university days, I came across an assistant professor who would ensure good grades for students only if they promised to register for future course with him. Another teacher, a professor was known for his strong opposition to dissent in class debates.

Once he directed one of his students to leave the class only because he raised questions which did not fall in line with the teacher’s view.

Another professor, who frequently appears on TV and writes columns, was least interested in teaching in class. He would not encourage students to conduct research of any kind. Instead, he would ask them to read his newspaper articles and think of doing research only when they went for PhD.

The lobbies within the academia are another issue. The concept of favourite students is another puzzle. Some professors choose their favourites for foreign conferences and seminars negating merit. However, we were lucky to have some good teachers who were more interested in merit, originality and learning.

Who is going to fix the academia?

Basharat Wakhani
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2018