Despite mandatory posts for PhD scholars being ‘available’ in the higher educational institutions across the country, there are more than 5,000 PhDs who are looking for jobs even after having the highest academic skills in various fields.
An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report for 2023 shows that the ratio of employment in Pakistan is 47.6 per cent, while the number of unemployed people in the country has reached 5.6 million, which is 1.5 million more than what it was in 2021. This data is related to the labour class. On the other hand, a large number of scholars with PhD degrees in the country are unemployed.
According to the PhD Doctors Association Pakistan, the number of unemployed doctorates in 2019 was 2,000, which has now increased to 5,000, and it is continuously increasing on an yearly basis. More than 1,400 young people earn their PhD degrees every year from local and foreign educational institutions; a large number of them are women.
There has been an increase in the tendency of PhD scholars to work outside Pakistan. It seems being a PhD scholar in Pakistan is losing its appeal. When even the highest degree in the education system cannot provide an opportunity for honourable employment, this trend will only increase.
PhD scholars spend precious money and time on higher education, and continue the learning process while putting everything else on hold. Does the Higher Education Commission (HEC) review the activities of its affiliated universities? All HEC-affiliated universities should be under obligation to offer PhD degree holders internship and visiting faculty positions at their university.
Besides, PhD degree holders should also be recruited as lecturers at least on a contract basis if confirmed positions are not available.
The PhDs currently hired as visiting faculty by universities already face exploitation, for they do not receive compensation for several months. Such is the indifference that it takes a year to get their compensation released. While universities offer meagre hourly compensation, there is hardly any amount left after tax deduction.
While the monthly salary of an assistant, associate and full-scale professor goes up to Rs500,000, a teaching assistant gets hardly Rs40,000, or even less.
Even a labourer earning a meagre daily wage seems to be in a better position financially, and is surely valued more than a PhD, despite significant contributions of scholars to society and academia.
The authorities concerned should make it compulsory for the universities to give first preference to the highly educated rather than underqualified persons.
We already lack in research and aca-demia, and by discouraging, exploiting and ignoring highly qualified scholars, we will keep dreaming of standing among the developing nations.
DR TANVEER HUMA ANSARI
HYDERABAD
