ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The country’s PhD scholars on Monday staged a protest in front of National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad against what they called ongoing Higher Education Commissions’ (HEC) policies.
As many as 500 young PhD holders who completed their higher studies from abroad and within country, demanded from the high ups and concerned authorities to resolve their issues.
Talking to media persons about their plight, PhD scholars regretted that HEC had inked a bond with universities’ management and scholars under which they were bound to return to the country, stay for five years and teach in the universities for one year but claimed they were left in lurches and continue to be unemployed since long.
The Convener of the PDA Dr Faheem was of the view that the varsities are bound to induct and provide them jobs, they expressed further lamenting, HEC failed to get the PhD scholars adjusted against jobs on intern basis, who had completed studies on scholarships.
The universities are violating the HEC rules as scholars are paid stipend by the commission, he claimed adding, the universities off and on offer PhD scholars the positions as visiting faculty member.
They demanded of regular and TTS jobs for PhD degree according to their qualification in public and private sectors.
They said HEC must advise the universities to hire PhD graduates to fulfil the vacant posts of Assistant Professors (AP) instead of hiring BS/MS degree holders and must regularize the interim, contractual or visiting PhD faculty in respective posts as per HEC-university agreements.
