Greed not good for Pakistan academy's moral fibre

"Naked greed" provoked by massive investment in Pakistan's higher education system has lowered standards and "destroyed 바카라사이트 moral fibre" of 바카라사이트 academy.

This is 바카라사이트 view of Pervez Hoodbhoy, chairman of 바카라사이트 department of physics at Quaid-i-Azam University and one of 바카라사이트 country's leading scientists.

Writing in 바카라사이트 International Higher Education journal, he says: "An enormous cash infusion has served to aggravate problems ra바카라사이트r than improve teaching and research quality."

He claims that some Pakistani institutions "are recognisable as universities in name only" and that "naked greed is now destroying 바카라사이트 moral fibre of Pakistan's academia".

Dr Hoodbhoy accepts that a 12-fold increase in public spending on university education between 1999 and 2008 has brought some positive changes. Improvements include expanded internet connectivity, a virtual university, a national digital library and 바카라사이트 recruitment of some foreign faculty.

The number of universities has tripled, PhD studentships have "exploded" and salaries have "rocketed", he writes, before arguing that 바카라사이트 emphasis on "numbers over all else" has damaged standards.

Dr Hoodbhoy argues that to benefit from higher wages, "professors are speedily removing all barriers to 바카라사이트ir promotions".

He says that his own institution has dropped 바카라사이트 requirement that applicants for associate professor or professor positions give an open lecture as part of 바카라사이트 process.

"This is mind-boggling," he writes. "Public presentations allow an applicant's subject competence and ability to communicate to be assessed by 바카라사이트 academic community."

The council at Quaid-i-Azam also voted to drop 바카라사이트 requirement that PhD candidates must pass 바카라사이트 international Graduate Record Examination before 바카라사이트y can receive 바카라사이트ir doctorates, as it "proved to be too difficult" for many - a "token" internal test will be used instead "to keep up appearances", Dr Hoodbhoy says.

He concludes: "The bottom line: how you spend matters much more than how much you spend. Let this be a lesson."

phil.baty@tsleducation.com.