KARACHI: The Karachi University (KU) administration seems to be clueless on how to end the impasse over admissions to the MPhil/PhD programme in linguistics at the department of English as it has recently cancelled interviews of at least 19 candidates scheduled for Monday (June 8), it emerged on Sunday.

According to sources, a group of teachers at the English department headed by the chairperson, for some unknown reasons, oppose the idea that the university offers MPhil/ PhD programme in linguistics this year. Their continued opposition, the sources said, had delayed the entire admission process.

The university, sources said, had been offering specialisation in linguistics and literature separately at the masters, MPhil and PhD level since 1979. Linguistics, they said, was one of the most sought-after subjects on the campus and it was the first time that such an issue had developed.

The problem, sources said, came to light with the appointment of a new chairperson at the department of English two months ago. A three-member group of senior teachers told the university administration that since they had done their specialisation in literature, they were not qualified to teach linguistics and, hence, no admission should be offered in this field.

Presently, however, the English department has four teachers with specialisation in linguistics. Three of them are applicants in this year`s MPhil/PhD programme and, the sources say, it is a normal thing for young teachers on the campus to teach along with their studies.

Besides, sources argue, speciñc linguistic courses could be outsourced and teachers could be hired if the university faculty is not available.

The university`s Board of Advance Studies and Research (BASR) had also rejected the arguments against admissions in linguists following which a university advertisement inviting applications for admissions to MPhil and PhD (in linguistics and literature) was published in newspapers.

The sources said the departmental head of the English department repeatedly ignored instructions from the university administration to fulfil her obligations. She refused to accept admission forms and scru-tinise them despite instructions from the administration that had to take out an order for Prof Kaleem Raza Khan, former registrar and senior teacher of the English department with specialisation in linguistics, to scrutinise the forms.

Some KU officials believed that linguistics was being opposed only because some teachers did not like Prof Khan.

`The opposition to linguistics was so strong that the administration had to hold MPhil/PhD admission tests at the international relations department as the process was not allowed to be held at the English department,` a senior teacher told Dawn.

The continued opposition, sources said, forced the BASR to bring three observers on the departmental research committee that was required to conduct students` interviews. But they were cancelled previous Friday.

`It`s university policy that it appoints observers on departmental research committees when it receives complaints over admissions. But in this particular case, observers are also being opposed, said a senior BASR member.

The observers in the case of English department are deans ofthe faculties of social sciences, management sciences and that of education.

Dr Farhana Wazir Khan, the department chairperson, was not available for comments.

The KU registrar, Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, confirmed the deadlock over admissions in linguistics, but hoped that the issue would be resolved this Tuesday when the vice chancellor intended to hold a meeting with the relevant faculty.

`The interviews have been cancelled because the vice chancellor wanted to meet and address the concerns of the faculty of the English department,` he said, adding that the issue would be resolved amicably and students who had cleared their tests would get admissions in linguistics.

When contacted, dean faculty of social sciences Prof Moonis Ahmer said: `My stance over this issue is that the university must follow procedures and make decisions on merit. It would be grave injustice to students who have already passed their test. It is depriving them of their right to study a subject of their choice,` he said.

Nineteen students, 12 for linguistics and seven for literature, were called for the Monday interviews.