Improving the standards of Pakistani PhD and MPhil degrees:

Scholars demand introduction of modern methodologies

* Say laws on plagiarism and copyright infringement need to be enforced
* Focus needed to improve research methodology and libraries and end corruption

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: Scholars and researchers have demanded introducing modern research methods to improve the standard of Pakistan’s PhD and MPhil degrees and make both comparable to international standards and also tackle plagiarism after a few cases were reported in various Pakistani universities.

Talking to Daily Times, they said that Pakistan’s research system could not be changed till the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and universities worked together to develop a research environment that matched international standards and paid attention to the quality and education of supervisors and externals who played an important role in producing PhD and MPhil scholars.

Punjab University Registrar Prof Dr Naeem Ahmad Khan said the university had taken several decisions to avoid plagiarism by students and researchers.

“We have warned all externals and supervisors to double check the theses of students before submitting them for final evaluation and we have also issued a warning stating that the culprits will not be spared if they are found plagiarising other people’s work,” he said.

He said a university committee consisting of Dean of Faculty of Law Prof Dr Dil Muhammad Malik, Prof Dr Abdul Rauf Butt from the Economics Department, senior professors and officials of various departments was investigating the plagiarism reportedly committed by Physics Department teachers. He said the committee was likely to issue a report by the middle of November.

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