9/11/2017 Education challenge - Newspaper - DAWN.

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Education challenge
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ONLY four Pakistani universities made it to the top 1,000 in the Times
Higher Educations annual World University Rankings, down from seven
last year. Thats an appalling proportion given that Pakistan is the fifth-

most populous country in the world, and with a significant youth bulge.

Cynics might marvel that any Pakistani universities feature on the

rankings. Patriots might fume at the exclusion of prestigious institutions The writer is a freelance journalist.

such as Lums, AKUH and IBA. Academics are likely to point to the many
fallacies in the rankings themselves; for example, the focus on measurable factors such as funding and volume
of research publications, rather than the quality of tuition. This critique is particularly relevant in Pakistan since
a 2002 decision to link government funding to research productivity has led local institutions to game the
system by churning out sham research in publications with a dodgy or non-existent peer review culture.
But the ranking has value in that it is yet another reminder of the sorry state of higher education in Pakistan.

In recent months, we have been inundated with stories highlighting the crisis unfolding on our campuses. The
issue of student radicalisation has been well documented thanks to Saad Azizs violent activities, Naureen

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Legharis recruitment by the militant Islamic State group, and the recent involvement of a former Karachi
University student in the assassination attempt on MPA Izharul Hassan. These examples were preceded by tales
of music departments being forced off campuses by the student wings of religious political parties, Al Qaeda
militants seeking sanctuary in hostels, and militant groups targeting students through social media.

Critical thinking is urgently required.

But radicalisation is not the only challenge facing educational institutions. Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy has repeatedly
highlighted the issue of corruption at universities resulting from cash incentives for research publications.

The politicisation of our campuses is another issue. Mashal Khans heinous lynching was primarily viewed as a
sign of growing extremism on campuses but as the investigation into the murder showed it was more about
campus politics. Khans death occurred because of competing party interests, criminality and the complicity of
university officials at the highest levels in corrupt behaviour, including politicised hiring practices and the
fostering of armed wings of political parties on campus. Rather than insulting religion, it was criticising the
university administration that probably cost Khan his life.

There are many who disagree with a focus on higher education, saying that Pakistan must first prioritise
universal access to primary education. This is a simplistic argument we cannot pick and choose. A country
cannot advance without the input of independent thinkers and problem solvers. Indeed, it must be our
university graduates who coin the policies that lead to a better public education system for all.

The HEC has taken a welcome step to call for universities to crack down on campus radicalisation. A recent
letter by the commissions chairman calls for improved security, faculty monitoring of public spaces and more

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counselling of vulnerable students. More importantly, the letter recognises the need for extracurricular
activities, sports, tutorials and public lectures to promote tolerance as ways to combat extremism.

Unfortunately, a securitised and censorial rather than discourse-driven approach is likely to be adopted in the
fight against university radicalisation, and to the neglect of other issues plaguing institutions. Consider the
recent proposal to open up student records to scrutiny by law-enforcement and intelligence personnel. As an
editorial in this paper rightly pointed out, such access would be both useless in terms of identifying potential
militants and counterproductive owing to the chilling effect it would have on the academic environment. Sadly,
our state infrastructure is better equipped to monitor and harass than facilitate discourse.

Optimists have suggested that CPEC the answer to all Pakistans woes! will also save its educational
culture. Technology transfer centres and labs envisioned under the corridor are no doubt welcome. But the
Chinese are hardly known for fostering the kind of critical thinking that is urgently needed for Pakistans state
and society to thrive. This is one challenge we will have to address without help from our friends.

There is an inherent irony in Pakistani culture. We have great regard for scholars (as reflected in media
personalities and politicians need to cling to the honorific of doctor, even if its not strictly accurate). But there
is little interest in ensuring that the titles are meaningful and well earned. Indeed, the unthinking deference to
so-called experts is itself a sign of the lack of critical thinking and the submission to authority that it enables
in society at large. Better thinking is needed to help close the gaps.

The writer is a freelance journalist.

huma.yusuf@gmail.com

Twitter: @humayusuf

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Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2017

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