Our PhDs or paper tigers?

E-Paper | June 12, 2026

PAKISTAN has around 8,000 PhDs in various disciplines. But they seem to have contributed nothing for the progress of the country.

Instead of focusing on the daunting problems being faced by our agricultural or industrial sectors and utilising their doctorate degrees to solve these problems, they are busy in wasteful pursuits, and as such, waste their time and energy.

A glimpse of their achievements could be gleaned from the following: During our No1 Air-War course in the 1990s, when the participants of the course were taken to an agricultural research institute of the country to see their achievements, one of the researchers apprised us about his “innovation” that pertained to reclaiming the inner white portion of a watermelon that is left with the crust inside after consuming its red portion, making it edible with a sweetened taste.

One wished that the researchers had focused their energies on some worthwhile innovation in the agricultural field which would have spoken volumes about their knowledge and expertise.

They could have increased the productivity of our cash crops, brought some revolutionary innovations in reclaiming our lands from water and salinity or found out ways and means for protecting our crops from pests/plant pathogens peculiar to our environment, etc.

As far as our PhDs in the industrial field are concerned, they can divert their research towards designing and manufacturing cheaper solar cells with enhanced gain, manufacturing cheap incinerators for generation of electricity through burning of solid waste of various cities of the country, thinking of new breakthroughs in the auto industry, etc.

Whatever may be the reason, the fact is that we aren’t making any use of our PhDs in the agricultural and industrial fields. One more thing: producing only PhDs isn’t enough.

We have to groom people in the lower tiers of different sectors as well who should be able to implement the ideas of these PhDs otherwise they would be of no use to the country.

AIR CDRE (Retd) AZFAR A. KHAN Rawalpindi

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Newspaper

Our technophobia is seriously misplaced

Punjabi in trouble

Punjab traffic

Nadir El-Edroos (@needroos)

Nov 16, 2012 09:49am

Is this based on fact or perception?

Recommend 0

sami

Nov 16, 2012 10:53am

Sir, can you please enlighten us about your contributions to the country ???

Recommend 0

mike ghaous

Nov 16, 2012 07:29pm

Before we talk about Pakistani PhDs, let us take a look at their Advisors.....As a person associated with teaching in Grad schools, I know that most Pakistani PhD advisors adopt the easy ways.They may be smart enough to beat the web crawlers to detect the plagiarised versions.......# 2 as we call it......

Recommend 0

Allaisa

Nov 16, 2012 12:44pm

And the Air Cmdr knows best?

Recommend 0

Nov 16, 2012 09:03pm

i disagree to what you said, as of my knowledge funds are put in to R&D but they donot reach the right individuals. they are consumed elsewhere (God knows where).

Recommend 0

deo

Nov 16, 2012 06:22pm

I have never been to Pakistan. However, I do know a number of Pakistanies who have completed their Ph. D. in Western nartions. These Pakistanies are often as good as any other Ph. D. The problem is probably more related with Pakistani institutions producing Ph. Ds and those suervising Ph. D. candidates than Pakistani Ph. D. candidates. Unfortunately, Pakistan (but also India and Bangladesh) as a nation does not seem to respect knowledge and education. In all these three societies, creativity and questioning are dis-couraged and even punished. Such societies are doomed to fail.

Recommend 0

Muhib

Nov 16, 2012 06:18pm

PhD means a new idea on a small subject. After PhD one needs to have proper R&D sector that utilizes those PhDs. This is the case in both Europe and America where the private and government sector give jobs to these PhDs in R&D. Since a mojor portion of our tax money goes to military hardware, jets and to make nukes, nothing is left to do R&D in solar cells. Most of the R&D on government scale in Pakistan is related to defence- not very interesting. Private industries are not interested in R&D (in India for example we have GM R&D, GE R&D, Infosys, etc). So Mr. Khan, before blaming students who worked hard and earned their PhDs, look around you and research before you point fingers on students. By the way your speciality is security. We dont have security in Pakistan inspite of all the resoureces being diverted to it. So what have you achieved besides writing critical letters?

Recommend 0

Nov 16, 2012 08:32pm

sir with all due respect i must put you right. Doing a research work is not that simple at all. It needs a lot of efforts not only on part of the "paper tiger" but also from govt. One can't start a research in his home. He needs a lab with a lot of money and ofcourse encouragement. People doing PHDs on HEC scholarships are reluctant to fall back home.Just for the sole reason that back here in Pak there is not a single penny thrown in to Research and development. Then whats the point of coming back and doing as a lecturer in some institution? Where your knowledge will only be rusted.

Recommend 0

Ayaz

Nov 16, 2012 04:07am

We need primary education more than Phds.

Recommend 0

I. Ahmed

Nov 16, 2012 06:03am

Dear Air Cdre (Retd) Khan, thankfully, YOU have raised a very important point. Ph.D.?s should be creative and innovative and this comes through research. Since you have mentioned you were trained in Air War College, apart rendezvous to agricultural lands, I know they also train you in foreign policy, finance, budgeting. The country, for years and years, has neglected higher education and research to ensure the safety and security of its borders which has consumed over 65% of its actual budget. Therefore, it can only produce Ph.D.?s who, due to paucity of funds, can only think of making the thick skin of water melon edible. That, in fact, is the reality.

Recommend 0

Tahir

Nov 16, 2012 10:51am

I agree entirely with the above. It is simply a confetti qualification these days with hardly anyone coming up with something unique and useful - all cut and paste stuff put together to look voluminous. On the other hand, the universities are making good money setting out bogus PhD topics for that much needed income and have hardly any incentive left to be proud of the value of a PhD or their institution. Too often, I come across candidates boasting to be called a doctor for material recognition than for academic excellence.

Recommend 0

BEA

Nov 16, 2012 07:02pm

Education is useles if you do not have any common sence to go with it i know a few people educated at a very high level ask them to do something simple they are lost they do not have an smidge of common sence between them.

Recommend 0

Ali Kabeer

Nov 16, 2012 09:02am

PhDs have the knowledge, but they dont have the funds to pursue R&D. If the government is kind enough to spend less on armed forces and more on education. Perhaps we could start expecting more from our intellectuals. I would like to highlight the case of the PAC Pad from Pakistan Air Force, instead of investing their time and energy on making indigenous air planes they are assembling chinese iPad rip offs

Recommend 0

Condemned

Nov 16, 2012 09:37am

It's very unfortunate that we start bashing almost anyone who does not belong to our cadre/profession. The same has been demonstrated here by Sir Khan. We must keep in mind that PhD always pertains to exploring new ways, methods and/or improvements in existing ones. It's least concerned with implementation of policies which is a core business of public sector institutions/authorities. If a PhD works on something that already exists and does not make her/his contribution, s/he does not deserve to be awarded a PhD. Then, as far as the problems the esteemed (and retired) air commodore has cited are concerned, they do not fall in the sphere of a researcher's civic/professional responsibilities, their sole reason is the lack of investment on part of the government, the private sector and the people. The solutions do exist, they just need to be implemented.

Recommend 0

abbastoronto

Nov 16, 2012 03:00pm

Are these 8,000 PhDs from Pak universities or foreign ones?

Recommend 0

Arshad

Nov 16, 2012 10:03am

Having PhD's is a very important variable however, without law and order there is no peace of mind and people cannot concentrate on their work. Moreover research requires an enabling organisational environment and some funding too. Inspite of these limitations, I am pleased to see that Pakistani scholar are in increasing numbers presenting their work in journals and conferences. National research objectives that were indicated by Mr. Azfar Khan are achieved by Research Institutions and for them to be successful they must be led by visionary researchers and leaders, such as we had in the person of Dr. Salimuzzam Siddiqui that I know of I am sure there are many more like him in Pakistan today. However, what we lack is leadership in all spheres. What we have are scoundrels posing as leaders? However, by producing PhD's we are at least creating the first important step to innvoate and develop. What needs to be done is to take the next step and put good leaders incharge of the research institutions. Remember the Kino we got from the Pakistani scientists and we get more fruits in the holistic sense of we go and take the next steps in establishing research in Pakistan.

Recommend 0

Branded Content

The Palms at Silk Gardens introduces a new family address in Karachi

The Palms places families at the heart of its vision, offering thoughtfully planned 2 and 3-bedroom units in a secure, peaceful and community-led environment.