The function of a university in modern times is threefold: to instruct, to do serious research, and to help public and private institutions with its inputs for framing their policies. In the West, universities epitomise knowledge and thus are rightly considered bastions of cerebral activities, enlightenment and wisdom. The highest number of Nobel Prize winners in physical and social sciences are associated with the universities.

University of Cambridge, for example, can be proud of its alumni and fellows; it alone has 121 laureates who made significant advances in knowledge. Another UK university, the University of Oxford, has 72 laureates who did ground-breaking research mostly in social sciences. The prestige universities carry in the United States of America can be gauged from the fact that professors are consulted on the state’s policy matters and can be requested to serve the institutions that run the state. It’s not uncommon to see a high profile former state official or a minister joining a university. Even former presidents interact with the universities. So it is no surprise that “Harvard University has more Nobel Prize winners than any other university in the world, with over 150 people associated with the university as alumni, faculty or researchers who have won the award.”

Coming to our country we find that there is only one university, the University of Punjab that has won three Nobel Prizes in its history, all in physical sciences. Sadly, the laureates have been forgotten and not owned by their alma mater for the ideological considerations that plague our institutions of learning because of its religiously motivated vision dictated by the state.

The state doesn’t want to see what poses even a remote threat to the irrational ideological objectives it has set for itself. The scientists who won prize were Prof Arthur Holly Crompton (1927-Physics), Har Gobind Khorana (1968-medicine) and Abdus Salam (1979- physics). Their achievements have never been celebrated by the University of Punjab. Reason? Difference in faith.

Abdus Salam is not only disowned but also demonised for having Ahmadiyya faith which is an anathema to the state and Muslim majority of the country. It means that non-Muslim scientists belonging to the soil whatever their contribution would be consigned to oblivion. That is supposed to add to our intellectual repertoire. Things have come to such a pass that faculty members in our colleges and universities use the prefix “doctor”. (if they have degree of doctorate) instead of professor. Remember you can be a doctor without ever being member of an academic or educational institution while to be a professor you have to spend years as a faculty member to reach this high point.

A glib doctor close to the Pakistani establishment, set up in the first decade of 21st century literally a factory that produced doctors claiming that they would revolutionise our education system. The policy promised quick promotion and monetary incentive for the PhD degree holders associated with colleges and universities. Hence there was mushrooming of doctors and now we can find them a dime a dozen.

The quality of education instead of improving slid down as the doctors with low quality research done with purely material motives tended to be smugger believing their academic excellence was proven beyond doubt. The reason was/is that there has been no check on the nature and quality of research or scholarship. Bulk of doctorates awarded so far has been in literature, an easiest thing to do in Pakistan. You take a poet or a writer, popular or obscure, and start waxing lyrical. You devote 50 to 100 pages on the author’s banal life and his/her insignificant family background. Regarding his/ her work you quote and quote what others have already said or written. The smart ones rephrase and write in their own words what is already available on the author in question. Consequently, hardly any doctoral thesis is published as a book. Concerned scholar and his/ her guide fear if approved thesis gets into print not only the so-called research would come under scrutiny but the level of their intellect would also be exposed. Apart from the low quality of research what is most disturbing is rampant plagiarism that plagues our campuses. Most of the theses churned out by our doctors would be thrown into a waste basket if presented to scholars in the developed world.

In our society as well as academic institutions what matters is connections, not the quality of research or scholarship. One’s muck can pass as hygienic if they have the right connections. That’s why no research has been done on the relevant subjects; histories of country’s different nationalities, local cultures, languages, mythology, flora and fauna, folklore, agriculture and livestock.

PhDs in physical sciences are far and few. In recent years we have seen another trend; these doctors act as patrons of writers; they force their students to prepare MPhil theses on their friends and benefactors who flaunt them as evidence of their creative status.

Greatness of a writer/ poet is measured by the number of theses written on him/ her. Our doctors are as knowledgeable as a teacher described in a popular joke that goes like this: an inspector of education lands in a school for inspection. Head master briefs him that his teachers are competent and students are well-taught. Inspector accompanied by the headmaster goes into a class room. Can I ask your students a question, says the inspector. Why not sir, replies the teacher. Addressing the students he says; tell me who destroyed Somnath (temple)? There is no response. The teacher makes a student stand up to answer who just grins. Then comes second student’s turn who shakes his head. Third student says I haven’t destroyed it, sir. The inspector looks at the teacher who promptly assures him; don’t worry sir. I will recover the cost of Somnath (temple) from them regardless of which of them destroyed it. Does anybody know how the cost of our destroyed education system can be recovered? Three generations since the emergence of Pakistan have already been buried under its debris. How many more can we afford to sacrifice? — soofi01@hotmail.com

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2024