Source Dawn
The future of 45 scholars of Kohat University of Science and Technology, studying abroad, hangs in the balance owing to unusual delay in the payment of fourth year expenses of their extended PhD programme by Higher Education Commission.
The scholars, through a letter, brought the matter in the notice of university administration few months ago and requested for more payment besides demanding extension in leaves. Their three-year leaves expired last year.
The KUST syndicate resolved the problem of their extended stay by approving their leaves. The vice-chancellor, who was in constant contact with the officials concerned, hoped that HEC would save the future of the students and make payment without further delay keeping in view the serious nature of the case.
The KUST had taken up the issue with HEC two months ago and demanded of it Rs7 million as payment of last year fees of the scholars, who were pursuing their PhDs in Germany and United Kingdom.
According to sources, KUST had sent 26 scholars to UK and 19 to Germany for three-year PhD programme. The university and the HEC had signed three years agreement with the foreign universities concerned. The monthly fees in pound sterling were being regularly sent to the scholars for the last three years and their visas were also refreshed every year.
The director finance of KUST, Amjad, when contacted, confirmed that the scholars were facing financial problems. “The PhD programme was originally approved for three year according to PC-1 document. The universities had said that they offered three years PhD programme after which the agreement was duly signed between HEC and the universities,” he said.
But unfortunately the three years programme was converted into four years owing to delay in approval of thesis of students by their supervisors, he added.
The universities demanded payment for the fourth year and made it clear that if fees were not paid the students would not be granted degrees and the UK and Germany governments would have to deport them.
The 12th meeting of the syndicate of KUST approved the extended leaves of the 45 students and informed the foreign universities that payment was in the pipeline and would be made very soon. The approval to the extended leaves was made fortnight back.
The HEC had told KUST last year that according to PC-1 it had cleared all the payment for three years and was not in a position to bear expenses for the extended period.
Amjad said that the students required payment up to October 2011 to complete and submit their thesis but for further payment HEC and KUST would have to prepare fresh PC-1 if the former agreed to bear the expenses. The HEC had not made any decision about more payment as yet and the matter was being regularly taken up by KUST to save the future of the teachers, who had been sent for PhD.
Another official at the university regretted that owing to drastic cut in HEC budget and its uncertain future, it was very difficult to make such a huge payment.
Moreover, the decision to devolve HEC to provinces was also not clear therefore payment of fees of the scholars seemed almost impossible for the time being, he added.
The future of 45 scholars of Kohat University of Science and Technology, studying abroad, hangs in the balance owing to unusual delay in the payment of fourth year expenses of their extended PhD programme by Higher Education Commission.
The scholars, through a letter, brought the matter in the notice of university administration few months ago and requested for more payment besides demanding extension in leaves. Their three-year leaves expired last year.
The KUST syndicate resolved the problem of their extended stay by approving their leaves. The vice-chancellor, who was in constant contact with the officials concerned, hoped that HEC would save the future of the students and make payment without further delay keeping in view the serious nature of the case.
The KUST had taken up the issue with HEC two months ago and demanded of it Rs7 million as payment of last year fees of the scholars, who were pursuing their PhDs in Germany and United Kingdom.
According to sources, KUST had sent 26 scholars to UK and 19 to Germany for three-year PhD programme. The university and the HEC had signed three years agreement with the foreign universities concerned. The monthly fees in pound sterling were being regularly sent to the scholars for the last three years and their visas were also refreshed every year.
The director finance of KUST, Amjad, when contacted, confirmed that the scholars were facing financial problems. “The PhD programme was originally approved for three year according to PC-1 document. The universities had said that they offered three years PhD programme after which the agreement was duly signed between HEC and the universities,” he said.
But unfortunately the three years programme was converted into four years owing to delay in approval of thesis of students by their supervisors, he added.
The universities demanded payment for the fourth year and made it clear that if fees were not paid the students would not be granted degrees and the UK and Germany governments would have to deport them.
The 12th meeting of the syndicate of KUST approved the extended leaves of the 45 students and informed the foreign universities that payment was in the pipeline and would be made very soon. The approval to the extended leaves was made fortnight back.
The HEC had told KUST last year that according to PC-1 it had cleared all the payment for three years and was not in a position to bear expenses for the extended period.
Amjad said that the students required payment up to October 2011 to complete and submit their thesis but for further payment HEC and KUST would have to prepare fresh PC-1 if the former agreed to bear the expenses. The HEC had not made any decision about more payment as yet and the matter was being regularly taken up by KUST to save the future of the teachers, who had been sent for PhD.
Another official at the university regretted that owing to drastic cut in HEC budget and its uncertain future, it was very difficult to make such a huge payment.
Moreover, the decision to devolve HEC to provinces was also not clear therefore payment of fees of the scholars seemed almost impossible for the time being, he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment