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PhD scholars` woes

2023-11-07
WE always lament the shortage of PhDs in Pakistan, but hardly pay attention to the reasons behind it. Many PhD scholars in Pakistan, including myself, find themselves in an academic quagmire owing to the lack of support and resources. Uncooperative supervisors make things worse.

It is disheartening to witness the stark contrast between the conditions we face in Pakistan and the opportunities available to PhD scholars in developed countries. In Pakistan, pursuing a PhD is a rigorous and demanding journey that is riddled with countless challenges.

Research and writing a dissertation is indeed a tedious and cumbersome process, and a scholar even in the developed world has to overcome such challenges. But apart from the challenges one usually faces while being a doctoralscholar,here,in Pakistan, we face unnecessary stumbling blocks. One of the most significant challenges we face is the attitude of some supervisors who misuse their authority and display a lack of professionalism and empathy towards their students.

This is particularly disheartening when we put in utmost efforts to produce quality research work.

I, like many other scholars, have experiencedintentionaldelayin feedback and approvalofresearch proposals by supervisors, which significantly affects the process. It is frustrating when the supervisors, who are expected to guide and supportus, create hurdles without valid reasons.

They do it just because they can.

Moreover, the absence of adequate financial resources for research and the overall lack of support make the pursuit of a PhD in Pakistan an uphill task.

Many talented individuals are discouraged from pursuing higher educationbecause ofthese obstacles.

The developed countries, on the other hand, provide a peaceful, conducive and academic environment to PhD scholars,with funding opportunities, professional support systems, and mutually respectful relationships between the supervisors and their students.

These conditions not only foster academic excellence, but also contribute to the overall advancement of knowledge and innovation in society.

We need to initiate a much-needed conversation about the state of PhD education in Pakistan. We must call for reforms that ensure fair treatment, adequate support, and an environment conducive to research excellence.

It is time Pakistan bridged the rather widening gap, and provided its PhD scholars with the required funding opportunities and respect that their counterparts in other countries enjoy.

Jameel Ahmed Khan Larkana