KARACHI, Oct 18: Lamenting the decline of social sciences as a discipline, senior research scholar and academic Professor Dr M.H. Qazi said that there is a pressing need to create a purely academic culture in universities so that the ideas and problems of society could be discussed.

He said this while delivering the keynote address at a seminar titled ‘University culture and preferred status of teachers’ at a seminar organized by the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (KUTS) at the university on Saturday.“Social sciences are the pillars of a civilized society. However, social sciences are dying,” he said, adding that social capital needed to be built up along with human capital, or else concentrating on just the latter could lead to extremism. He reminisced about what he termed the ‘Aligarh syndrome,’ where teachers based their relationship with students on love, sympathy and respect.

He also spoke of the historical development of universities, saying that while universities were being set up in Europe during the Middle Ages and beyond, Muslims failed to set up any universities in India during their nearly 900 year-long rule of the subcontinent.

“We were not educated properly until the British came. It was an outside influence. Muslims missed previous technological revolutions, such as the Industrial Revolution, but they cannot afford to miss the information revolution,” Prof Qazi said. He was also critical of what he termed “inbreeding” in local universities, referring to the practice of scholars getting employed at the same institution after completing their studies. Giving the example of the United States, he said if a scholar obtained a doctorate at one university, he or she was not allowed to work at the same institution. “From 1974 to 1994, no one from the outside came to KU. Thus, there was no sharing of knowledge,” he observed, adding that varsities such as Karachi University and Sindh University should interact.

Prof Qazi said a proper Islamic ethos, detached from the narrow-minded theocracy of the mullah and based on the principles of love and brotherhood, was the true path to progress. He also said that Pakistani students could compete with the best in the world, provided they are given an enabling environment.

KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui said teachers needed to inculcate the love of the subject in students as well as encourage them to develop a thought process capable of reaching proper conclusions. He said that there was a difference between methods of teaching at colleges and at a university. “In colleges knowledge is transferred while at a university knowledge is created.”

He added that a vital part of university culture should be to encourage students to conduct research in order to create a positive impact on society. “Teachers should come into the profession by choice, not by chance. There should be a commitment to education. Degrees are one thing but an intellectual thought-process is another,” said the VC.

Sindh’s Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, who holds the portfolio of education and literacy, in his address as chief guest said the fact that teachers do not get proper respect in society pained him greatly.

Referring to the sanctity of universities, he recalled that the late Ghulam Mustafa Shah, former vice-chancellor of Sindh University, resigned in protest when police entered the campus without permission.

He also praised the role of Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh Muslim University in promoting education in Sindh, adding that many of the province’s political leaders as well their forefathers owed their education to Aligarh.

He highlighted the role of primary education, saying that it was the foundation of a university and that primary school teachers should be the focus of attention.

Speaking earlier during the welcome address, KUTS president Prof Dr Aqueel Ahmed said that the role of teachers had been hailed by all nations and all religions, adding that the greatest teacher was the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He said the key to the developed nations’ success was their thriving universities and active teachers. “Nations who do not respect teachers ultimately perish. Teachers generate new blood for nations. Just as the government patronizes defence institutions, it should similarly patronize educational institutions.”

Dr Shakeel ur Rehman Farooqui, KUTS vice-president, delivered the vote of thanks.