LAHORE: The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has decided to strengthen monitoring of postgraduate students and hold supervisors equally responsible where PhD and MPhil scholars show poor academic or research progress.
The decision was made at the 231st meeting of the Advanced Studies & Research Board (ASRB) at the UHS on Thursday with Vice Chancellor retired Maj Gen Prof Sohail Sabir in the chair.
The meeting reviewed a wide range of matters while the agenda included thesis evaluation reports, examiner panels, time-barred postgraduate cases, revised inspection proformas and approval of research synopses.
Chairing the meeting, the VC directed that a quarterly report on the academic and research progress of postgraduate students should be prepared to ensure regular monitoring and timely completion of degrees.
He observed that responsibility for a student’s progress could not rest with the student alone as supervisors and departments had an equal responsibility to guide their scholars, monitor their research and ensure achievement of academic milestones within the timeframe.
The meeting also decided to strengthen the role of the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, which would conduct a monthly review of students who had been granted extensions.
The ASRB reviewed thesis-related matters.
The board also considered updated panels of examiners for postgraduate research degree programmes for 2026-27. The proposed panels include 1,186 examiners in basic sciences, 438 in dental sciences, 2,078 in clinical sciences, 122 in nursing sciences and 38 in allied health sciences.
Updated inspection proformas for several MS, MD and MDS specialties were approved. These included MD pulmonology, oncology, neurology and gastroenterology, as well as MS orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, paediatric surgery, ENT and plastic surgery, and MDS prosthodontics, operative dentistry and orthodontics.
The board also considered new research synopses, including PhD research on MDR/XDR Klebsiella pneumoniae and antibacterial activity of gold nanoparticles, and an AI-enhanced virtual staining system for haematological blood film analysis.
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2026
