RESEARCH  CULTURE  IN  PAKISTAN: AN  UN-RESPONDED QUESTION ?

BY MARIA SAIFUDDIN*

INTRODUCTION

Issues raise and erase. In some states their solutions take place in a fast and prompt manner, while in some not too early, whereas in most of the cases with particular reference to the Third World, none of them is fortunate enough to get their appropriate and quick solutions or even a thoughtful glance over it.

The dearth of research culture is one of such attentions worthy conundrums. Unluckily, the field of research, which is considered as the pillar of strength, progress and development in other societies, is a missed target in Pakistan. This shelves oodles of questions. The primary concern of this research paper is to answer the following questions:

1. Why couldn't research culture develop in Pakistan?

2. How could it be possible to build research culture in Pakistan?

3. What would be the ultimate implications if the process to develop this culture takes place?

Well, the whole study revolves around three major characters due to which a state either lives or dies i.e.  Government, Society and Individual.

Why  not?

This section intends to travel from bottom to top that may help in finding out the causes from the grass root level. Lets take them one by one.

1. GOVERNMENT

Education: a neglected child!

The palpable paralysis in the promotion of research process as a basic component of Pakistani society  connects with sloppy progress of educational sphere naturally. One has to swallow the toxic pill in terms of education in Pakistan. The Economist produced a table on the levels of literacy achieved in several developing countries. Among those included in the table, Pakistan had the highest proportion of illiterate people in the population. Pakistan stands out among emerging markets in the extent of illiteracy.1

A country, being a fruitful result  of untiring efforts of  the golden personalities of history, got this undernourished  sector since its appearance on world map as an independent state. Pakistan received only two of the 21 universities of undivided India, one located in each wing. The total  number of primary schools was 39,000, out of which 29,000 were in East Pakistan  and the rest in  West wing .The ratio was reversed at the                 

secondary level as the West wing had 5,500 out of 9,000 schools. The country as a whole came away with 83 colleges.2

So, historically speaking it is propitious to say that foundation was meek from the very beginning. Albeit, opportunities knocked the door several times but with no welcome from the concerned authorities.

It's an international truth that the government of any state tends to provide the basic fundamental facilities to its people and has to look after the intrinsic sections and fields of the society including health, food, education etc. In this connection, Pakistan, though saw a series of educational policies but unimplemented. Political leaders use the over echoed slogan of "mass education" to gain power but soon chew their words and promises despite formulating alluring policies. If one asks about these promises they easily turn towards the inadequate resources and funds. Lack of accountability matters a lot here. So the government covers a larger area of irresponsibility and apathy.

Finance, resources and their utilization

Research  can be counted as a rich field both knowledge wise and investment wise. It requires money. A research project shelters certain area of expenditure i.e. appointment of expertise, arrangements of seminars, workshops, conferences, study tours,  purchase of technological equipment etc. A country  where less than 5% is usually spent on literacy, it is scary to start a research project devoid of  government's support. An application for funds for research or travel abroad to read out a paper in a seminar used to go directly from university's bureaucracy, which by itself is a major hurdle ,to the relevant Ministry of Education. Now it goes from there to the University Grant Commission(UGC) which sends it on to the Higher Research Wing. From there it goes to the Ministry of Education which issues the No Objection Certificate for travel abroad when funds are involved. In case of research it comes back to the UGC which issues money bit by bit, in trickles and driblets, for the project. A self-respecting academic thinks twice before going through this time consuming and humiliating experience 3. Is it true  that  Pakistan really lacks financial resources? No, Pakistan gets enough funds and has finance(as it spends 27% on its military expenditure)but quite reluctant to invest such financial resources on its human resources. The matter of the fact is that resources are there but unspent and unutilized.

Education Vs Politics

Needless to mention that the political  strata of Pakistan dominates every segment of the society. Politicization of education is therefore not a peculiar or weird phenomenon. While pondering over the unspent financial resources one question that maybe raised is that where such resources are spent? Simply they are spent to gain political boons rather than upgrading the literacy rate.  It's easy to misuse resources by politicizing the educational sector and that has happened in Pakistan to a considerable extent

A few years ago I met an MNA from one of the two main political parties at a reception in Lahore. I was then at the World Bank. He said –and it was not a tongue and cheek statement that the World Bank was a wonderful institution .It had helped him strengthen his own political base in his community by using the World Bank's fund to

 give jobs the  unemployed. He had recruited his party workers as teachers with the help of SAP funds. I asked him whether the workers from his party who had been employed as teachers could teach. Ofcourse they could not, he told me 5. It is also noticeable that the high level  institutes are politicized and students tend to serve for their vested interests rather than to dignify their spirit of knowledge.

Standard of Education

All of the above mentioned hurdles combine with puerile syllabus produce lower standard of education. Hence it does not allow the students to study or even to read their textbooks. This is the era of globalization when breakneck competition of I.T takes place all over the world, how and where could a Pakistani  student of 10^th grade be placed in this "e- world" whose English text book still revolves around  the story of "Clever Wife" and "Village Fair". Ipso facto, the investigative instinct of the students is pulverized.

2.  SOCIETY

Unfavorable Environment

Surroundings and environment possess an unchallengeable position under the sun. Research work, therefore, needs a suitable, encouraging and persuasive atmosphere to be developed as mature branch  of education. In  case of Pakistan ,there are libraries and research centers (in a smaller no.),providing  peaceful, appropriate  environment but neither persuasive nor too encouraging. The procedure to get the literature from different books photocopied in the renowned  libraries and research centers is not only deplorable but detestable that usually take two to three days to provide the required material to the students.

Other Shortcomings

A. Least reading calibre of people from all walks of life,

B. No access to original documents, text or official record,

C. Wide communication gap between government and societal forces.

3. INDIVIDUAL

Wrong  way of teaching

It is one of the great dilemma that Pakistan has failed to produce "Question raisers". Rote learning, memorization of the whole stuff ,preparation of notes etc, they all become norm of the academic culture of Pakistan. Students are compelled to follow the answers from the marked paragraph by their  teachers. It is next to kill the analytical germs of the pupils.

Other Drawbacks

A. Non professionalism, non-seriousness, dishonesty, lack of commitment as the features of national character.

B. Domestic atmosphere.

C. Apathetic attitude of  individuals.

D. Brain drain

HOW  COULD THE RESEARCH CULTURE BE DEVELOPED?

The  absence of Research culture is a deep-rooted problem. It is therefore impossible to eradicate it within few days. The whole process needs a drastic change and transformation on the part of three basic components i.e.  government, society and  individuals .The following recommendations could help in this process:

1.The foremost requirement that the government should fulfill is to workout on the development of strong and viable infrastructure. The agenda of any government should  have a primary focus on mass education in the strict sense of word with prompt implementation of the policies.        

2.It should decide to spend an adequate amount of national budget on education  as it is and should be the first priority .

3.It is true that government alone cannot do everything so it should seek some cooperation and consultation from the private sector in the educational sector especially.

4.In addition, all of the three players i.e. government, society and individuals should join their hands together with inner spirit of self-accountability.

5.The government should encourage the research scholars by giving them breaks in policy formulation  with certain priviledges and reasonable pay so this would spare the country from the wave of brain drain. 

6.The academic  syllabus should be made according to the contemporary trends.

Apart from such suggestions, the only thing that can be done on the individual's capacity is to motivate one's own self with sincerity and honesty. The privileged individuals who has been enjoying the blissful cradle of knowledge should come forward with the pious purpose of spreading awareness  sans greed, discrimination  but with true intention.

LAST WORD

Research awakens the sleeping sections of any society. It gives birth scholors, thinkers and philosophers like Voltaire, Montesquieu,Karl Marx, Rousseau , Khalil Gibran, economists like Rostow, Adam Smith, political stalwarts like Woodrow Wilson, Kennedy, Lincholon, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Nehru etc. History proves  that they all contributed in their respective fields. But all revolves around their devoted brains and physical efforts. Thus if such process starts Pakistan would not only  benefited nationally but internationally. It would be able to leave its positive image on the international scene by developing  and availing its human resources. This would enable its market to stand among the top economies of the world. The collapse of communism in East Europe has destroyed the socialist economic base in all countries of the region. But still they have an extremely well developed human resource building on that base, they should be able to recover quickly 6.

Wise and developed nations always learn from their past. The  process  would 

6.Ibid

dawdling and delaying  but bring  fruitful  outcomes like in Europe which once went through the four hundred years of  ignorance but got the height in every sphere after 

taking bold initiatives. In case of Pakistan it might take more than four hundred years but make the nation as well as state stronger because research  brings fresh ideas, new ways, wise predictions, thoughtful suggestions that what Pakistan needs today.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Bajwa Farooq, Pakistan: A Historical and Contemporary Look, (New York:Oxford University Press,1999).

2. Hayes, D.Louis,The Crisis of Education in Pakistan , (Lahore: Vanguard Books Ltd,1987).

3. Rehman, Tariq, Language, Education and Culture, (Karachi: Oxford University Press,1999).

* Student, M.A (Final) Department of International Relations, University of Karachi and Research Assistant, KUIRD/USIP Research Project, Department of International Relations, University of Karachi

All content (C) Department of International Relations, Karachi University

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