LAHORE, April 26: The Punjab University’s Centre for High Energy Physics’ four teachers are allegedly involved in plagiarism, it is learnt.
Sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the teachers —- Rashid Ahmad, Sohail Afzal Tahir, M Alam Saeed and Maqsood Ahmad —- had copied excerpts of an article by renowned physicist Prof Chris Llewellyn Smith and got it published by their names in a foreign science journal titled “Science in Africa”, an international South African publication, without any reference to the original author.
The sources said Prof Smith, currently teaching at the Oxford University, gave a colloquium on June 12, 1997, titled “What is the use of Basic Science”. It was reproduced in the from of an article and placed on the website on Nov 26 same year.
Professor Smith, they said, had cited 19 references in his article. The PU teachers in question copied it verbatim and got it published by their names under the title “The benefits of basic sciences” in the Sept 2002 issue of the journal.
Science faculty dean Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran confirmed that he had received complaints in this regard and reported the same to the authorities concerned.
Registrar Prof Dr Naeem Khan told this reporter that the administration had referred the case to the CHEP head for his comments. Besides, the director research office would investigate the matter, he added.
Mr Khan said the varsity never spared plagiarists as a couple of months ago it had fired a research officer of the Centre for South Asian Studies on similar charges. He (the research officer) had reproduced an Indian author’s book by his own name. Similarly, the varsity also rejected the research work of a candidate as it contained excerpts of an article published in a foreign journal, Mr Khan explained.
Higher Education Commission chairman Dr Attaur Rahman has recently issued a directive to the PU regarding plagiarism, asking the vice-chancellor to strictly check the practice.
The directive says: “Plagiarism is specific form of cheating which is almost found in respect of course assignments completed by students independently.
“Plagiarism includes using published work without referencing (the most common), copying course work essays, collaborating with any other person when the work is supposed to be individual, taking another person’s computer file\programme, submitting another person’s work as one’s own, the use of unacknowledged material published on the website, purchase of model assignments from whatever source, copying another students’ results and falsifying results.” The varsity has circulated the directive in all departments.
Sources said that two of the four teachers accused of plagiarism were HEC scholars as well. “Publication in a foreign journal helps a teacher in promotion,” the sources pointed out.
A teacher says that plagiarism is the major concern of the HEC as it is detrimental to the research culture. “Plagiarists also earn bad name for the country in general and the varsity in particular”, he says.