PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Higher Education and Pakhtunkhwa College PhDs Faculty jointly launched specimens of three proposed journals here on Saturday with an aim to promote research activities along scientific lines in colleges across the province and encourage young researchers to help improve the quality of education.

The launching ceremony took place at the Government Degree College, Hayatabad, where scholars, students and teachers showed up in large numbers.

Commendation shields and certificates were given away to around 10 scholars for contributing papers to the maiden research journals.

The Journal of Languages and Literature Pakistan, Journal of Social Sciences Pakistan and Journal of Sciences Pakistan will be published biannually. They will accept papers from national and international scholars on the relevant treatises after thorough evaluation.

Specimens of three journals launched

The speakers stressed the need for using the available human resources to increase research activities at graduate level to prepare students for quality university education.

They said the journals would address the issues of young researchers and published their papers under the guidance of reputed editors and reviewers.

Writer Prof Abaseen Yousafzai said research productivity was a lifeline for the survival of BS education programme and that encouraging literary and cultural in college would help widen the scope of creative thoughts.

He said poetry and art triggered the spirit of creativity among youths.

Higher education secretary Manzoor Ahmad told participants that the PCPF had achieved a milestone by bringing out quality research journals, which would pave the way for good research and academic excellence.

He said the initiative would help young researchers learn a lot from the experiences of their supervisors.

Higher education director Prof Syed Subhanullah Shah said there was no shortage of human resources and talents in the province.

He said a large amount of money was being spent to improve labs and research activities.

Prof Subhanullah said 7,500 qualified teachers taught around 55,000 students at 2,019 colleges across the province under BS programme.

He said the department was encouraging healthy literary and cultural activities and research projects in colleges.

Chief of the PCPF Prof Fazle Hadi said editorial and advisory boards of the three research journals comprised reputed scholars from within the country and abroad.

He said Prof Usman Shah, Prof Safia Gul and Prof Zulqarnain would work as the journals’ chief editors.

Prof Usman said every research journal’s editorial and advisory board consisted of over 30 members to ensure the publication of the original, authentic and quality contents.

He said initially papers for JLLP would be invited in English, Urdu, Pashto, Persian and Arabic but later, it would also be extended to Hindko and Seraiki.

Government Degree College, Hayatabad, principal Prof Abdul Jabbar, Prof Iqbal Shakir, Afsar Afghan, and Rashid Khan also spoke on the occasion.

A Pashto mushaira and a concert were also held before the function formally ended.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2019