Recently, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has introduced numerous reforms to support postgraduate research in the country. These reforms have been applauded by international organizations like United Nations, USAID and World Bank. Unfortunately, in reality, a large number of research and academic papers published in Pakistani Universities have no actual application. HEC has also been criticized by many suggesting that the institute is merely churning out more PhD’s and ignoring the real problem at hand: poor quality of undergraduate degree programs in the country.
The University life of many undergraduates in Pakistan revolves merely around the four walls of their classrooms, with limited application and research training. Researches conducted in top Universities around the world establish strong links between academic research, development of analytical thinking, and career skills amongst young individuals. However, the majority of Pakistani undergraduate degrees miss all these aspects.
To add to this, an employability survey conducted in Pakistan reveals that employers are very unhappy with the quality of Pakistani undergraduates. This inadequacy and lack of skills create the imminent need for corporate to further train fresh graduates which costs them valuable resources. Hence, something that should have been ensured by universities during the course of four years has to be done by the employers. The survey also indicated a high discord between the areas of curriculum planning and industry needs in Pakistan, and ought to serve as an eye-opener for all public and private institutions throughout the country.
To add fuel to the fire, academic analysts and social scientists, in recent years, have highlighted the lack of direction and career planning in Pakistani undergraduates. This lack of direction is reinforced by the general attitude towards choosing a career in the country, which is either something tried and tested by close family members, or is potentially profitable. The lack of accounting for one’s interests and likeness leads to individuals being enrolled in degree programs with zero interest and aptitude matching. Adequate guidance and career counselling in hence necessary to avoid the above situation, and to ensure the development of a passionate and skilful workforce.
