Part 2 of this series on developing a valid criteria for faculty hiring in Pakistani universities focuses on aspects of candidates apart from academic excellence and research acumen. As discussed in the paragraphs below; each of these indicators play a critical role in the performance of selected candidates once they join the university rank and file.
Back when I was working on my Masters thesis at a reputed university in Lahore – I noticed a strange trend among my peers. Though final year Masters students were supposed to focus on their dissertations – most were instead found cramming multiple choice questions (MCQ’s) in preparation for government job exams. For these Masters students, the goal in life was to secure a government job. It would have been understandable if my batch-mates demonstrated preference or interest in a specific kind of employment but I quickly grasped that their objective was merely ‘any’ kind of government job. These students appeared for dozens of government exams, ranging from those for lowly 14th grade posts, to tests for the much more coveted seats for gazetted officers. Since competition for government jobs is fierce in Pakistan – especially in Punjab – most of my batch-mates did not make the cut. After failing to secure employment in the government sector – my peers chose to now complete their dissertations and venture into academia.
The subject area of dissertations in Pakistan – especially in the social sciences – is almost always linked to the student’s domicile district. For example; A student from Pakpattan would write on the socio-economic dynamics of shrines whereas someone from South Punjab would focus on issues concerning Seraiki identity and the formation new provinces. Students tend to focus mostly on areas where they come from since they already possess significant prior knowledge. Writing a thesis on something one is already familiar with is much more straightforward as compared to venturing into a realm where a comprehensive literature review would take months. This attitude of doing the ‘minimum possible effort’ is linked closely to the point made earlier – that for may students, academia is only their fallback option. I must add that what transpired at my alma mater is not something specific to a particular institution – students studying at higher education levels generally do prioritize government exams and only choose to enter academia as a last resort. Thus, to ensure that those appearing for interviews are ones who have actually prioritized professions in teaching and research – Human Resource departments must themselves investigate a candidate’s previous record of attempts at government exams. This can be done easily by entering the candidate’s national identity card (CNIC) number at the portal of public service commission websites. The websites shall then list all previously taken exams. Also, to make sure that dissertations of those applying for teaching and research positions are indeed objective and not just completed to fulfil minimum degree requirements – candidates with thesis topics on areas related to their domicile districts should be vigorously questioned on the utility of their work and whether their dissertation adds something new to existing academic literature or not. Until HR departments do not gauge candidates by the metric outlined above – the often repeated trope, ‘Those who can, do – those who can’t, teach’ shall continue to hold true in Pakistan.
Perhaps the most critical of all indicators – but one which Human Resource professionals entirely ignore – is evaluating whether a candidate possesses the necessary ‘social conditioning’ for an academic position at a university. According to the dominant view in Social Psychology, the way in which humans view the world is shaped by their experiences. In the process of social conditioning – the stages from infancy to adolescence are of utmost importance since that is when a human’s ‘moral compass’ – or lack of it – takes form. An individual’s environment influences every aspect of their future life, including career choice and personal relationships. It is therefore surprising – or rather worrying – that HR departments do not seem interested in assessing whether a candidate has had an upbringing where the pursuit of knowledge was considered a noble pursuit. It really is a catastrophe that many people who are entrusted to ‘teach’ others grew up in an environment where academics was either not valued at all, or was associated entirely with being a pathway to government employment. I am personally aware of numerous ‘faculty members’ – who have the audacity to voice their opposition to female higher education while they themselves draw a monthly salary by teaching classes where young women constitute the majority of students. For an outside observer – such comments by supposedly ‘learned’ academicians might seem surreal, but a quick chat with them will disclose that some of them come from backgrounds where no female family member has ever been allowed to attend university. Therefore, in order to be certain that candidates have undergone ‘social conditioning’ that has actually prepared them for a career in academia – HR professionals must dedicate considerable time into asking questions which primarily concern with the kind of environment in which candidates grew up in. The ideal upbringing for a faculty member should include a variety of elements – such as highly educated family members, travel experiences (both within Pakistan and abroad), a culture of reading in the household and exposure to public speaking (activities such as debates and/or plays) from an early age.
As Pakistanis, we tend to be extremely harsh and demanding of our political and bureaucratic elites – while at the same time, those involved with the teaching profession are almost never the target of criticism, even when it is warranted. Teaching is indeed a noble profession and those who dedicate their lives to scholarship should be respected. However, it is the duty of Human Resource professionals to select candidates who can do more than just reading pre-made PowerPoint presentations from textbooks – but have the ability, interest and social conditioning required to excel in the field of academia.
The writer, Ammad Malik, is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for International Peace & Stability (CIPS), NUST and is a regular commentator on socio-cultural affairs. He can be contacted at ammadmalik@protonmail.com.om