ALL governments make promises of ensuring development in a number of sectors, but leave behind a few sporadic and cosmetic ‘reforms’. However, in all the sectors, investing in education development and reform always seems to be very low on every government’s priority list.

Take, for example, the case of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad, which is one of the premier institutions of higher learning in Pakistan. The university imparts education from BS to PhD courses in several disciplines. The low priority accorded to higher education can be gauged from the fact that all centres of excellence and the area study centre affiliated with the university have been functioning without fulltime directors for quite some time. This raises questions about the centres’ administrative and academic efficiency and credibility.

The four centres of excellence are: the Centre of Excellence in Gender Studies (CEGS), the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR), the National Institute of Pakistan Studies (NIPS), and the National Institute of Psychology (NIP). The Area Study Centre for Africa and North and South Americas is in addition to the four centres. The university authorities have been running these institutions on an ad hoc basis, ignoring the intellectual damage being caused by the inordinate delay in appointing permanent directors.

Three of the centres of excellence and the area study centre impart education by holding classes in their respective disciplines, whereas the NIHCR is a research body which has been conducting research in history and culture since 1973 when it was mandated to do so.

Its last permanent director had resigned in 2010-11. Since then, the institute has been working either under a dean or a department head from the QAU. During this period, in a bid to appoint a permanent director, the post was advertised thrice, but every time the process was sabotaged to facilitate the appointment of a favourite.

At present, all institutions are being run by their own officials. Since a colleague is at the helm of affairs, the faculty and staff feel comfortable coming in to work late and leaving without taking into account their responsibilities. A number of faculty members also go out to hold private classes. On the other hand, staff members have been waiting for promotions for over a decade.

The makeshift arrangements have damaged the standing of these institutions. Without adequate leadership, faculty members with additional charge remain indecisive and apprehensive about taking major decisions. The authorities concerned should appoint fulltime directors for these institutes to ensure smooth running of their academic affairs.

Ahmad Hussain
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2021