The Hierarchical System of Higher Education

1. Introduction

The idea that all institutions of higher education should be equal and all of high academic standard is wrong. In India the Central universities---like IITs and Jawaharlal Nehru University etc---are of much higher standard than the ordinary universities. In Britain they made city universities out of polytechnics and in these new institutions teaching rather than research is emphasized. In America there are very elitist (Ivy League and others) universities and small colleges catering to average and below average students. In short, the university system is hierarchical and this paper attempts to lay down the criteria for deciding how this hierarchy should be recognized and determined in Pakistan.

In a word, I suggest that there should be a few (three or four) higher level research universities (which may be called ‘research universities’, ‘central universities’, or ‘universities’) and a large number of institutions of higher education which may be called institutes, colleges or university colleges. But how can we assure the quality of education in these different institutions? This brings us to the domain of quality assurance and control.

2. Quality in Higher Education

There are two major aspects of assuring that the quality of the universities should be consistent and controlled. The first is to ensure that the faculty is competent; the second that the institution itself has good libraries, laboratories, inter-library loan system, access to resources within the country and abroad and other facilities. I have already written about the first suggesting a point-weightage system in order to quantify merit (Dawn 19 October 2003). In a nutshell, the idea is to give a certain number of points for articles published in indexed journals; books written, edited or compiled; theses supervised; conferences attended; courses evaluated by students (provided one wants to be evaluated) etc.

The question which will be answered in this paper is how to create (1) a few high quality institutions which will create cutting edge research and expose the most intelligent students to all kinds of creative ideas while also (2) providing an increasingly large number of students with skills for the job market. Moreover, both these things should be carried out in the inadequate resources Pakistan possesses.

My suggestion is that two kinds of institutions of higher education should be created: the cutting edge ones and the ordinary ones.

3. Requirements of Cutting Edge Institutions

(a) The name university (or central university or research university) must be used only for an institution with all faculties and as many subjects as possible. The basic sciences, social sciences and humanities are, of course, absolutely necessary. In short, if an institution does not have physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, geology, geography etc in the sciences; philosophy, sociology, polities, history, linguistics, anthropology, religion etc in the social sciences; literature, fire arts, musicology etc in the humanities then it does not deserve the name of a university. It can, of course, continue to function under other names such as a college, an institute, a school or even a university-college.

This concern about using the term university only for an institution of higher learning which teaches and conducts cutting-edge research in all possible subjects will ensure that the university gains its intellectual prestige and leadership which it has lost because too many institutions use that name.

(b) The cutting edge university must be an institution for teaching of the highest level as well as research. Indeed, the second function, that of the creation of new knowledge, should take precedence over mere dissemination of existing knowledge which can be done fairly effectively in colleges and other institutions.

To ensure this, the faculty must consist of research scholars and scientists who should be paid lucrative salaries and given other facilities better than other institutions so as to attract and retain the best brains in the country.

The point-weightage system mentioned in the beginning of this paper is meant to ensure that there are fairly transparent and quantifiable criteria of academic merit without which academics cannot be promoted to the highest academic ranks (professor, distinguished professor, professor emeritus etc) which should carry exceptionally high salaries and prestige.

(c) The cutting edge university will be governed by academics (self-rule) with the vice chancellors, deans, chairpersons etc being elected for a tenure and rotated at the end of the tenure. All these positions must be reserved only for academics whether they belong to the same institution or some other. Powerful bodies of the university such as the syndicate or the senate, should be predominantly dominated by academics from the university as well as from other universities. A few members may, however, be taken from among prominent journalists, writers, intellectuals etc.

4. Points of Action

If the term university is to be applied only to self-governing, autonomous institutions teaching all kinds of subjects and staffed by the best minds of the country carrying on their own research activities as well as teaching students then how many such institutions can Pakistan afford? Moreover, what should be done about the very large number of places calling themselves universities at the moment? These are sensitive questions and the following practical steps are merely tentative suggestions.

4.1 To begin with only about three or four public sector institutions should be allowed to use the term university (or central university or research university) to describe themselves. The obvious candidates are the major public sector universities which already have a large number of subject. Other subjects, such as philosophy, engineering, medicine etc, may be added to them.

This means that the Rs. 5229.670 million rupees allocated for all federally funded universities in 2003-2004 will be received for only three or four institutions. If this money is invested in a few institutions it is possible to get the best academics and the most up to date infrastructure in at least three or four top institutions.

4.2 These ideal universities should not be allowed to affiliate any institution or possess any other campus in other cities. This is to ensure that exactly the same faulty, infrastructure, resources and atmosphere is available to all students who possess a degree from this prestigious institution. Affiliation makes it possible for students with very little exposure to extra curricular learning to boast of a prestigious degree.

4.3 As there are so many students and the government plans to enhance the enrolment ratio, it would be foolish to suggest that all other places calling themselves universities should be closed down. They should continue to operate as they do but their names should be different i.e. College of Information Technology; Institute of Administration; University College of such and such place etc.

The Guidelines for the Establishment of a New University or an Institution of Higher Education in the Private Sector issued by the HEC should be applied to the opening of institutes, colleges and university colleges but not the ideal universities I have mentioned above. The private sector could, of course, upgrade their institutions into universities provided they teach all subjects, emphasize research over teaching and their institutions are self-governed by the faculty. The obvious candidates for this upgradation are the Aga Khan University and LUMS (Lahore) which are introducing the social sciences soon.

4.3 Quality assurance of the colleges, institutes and university-colleges and all such university level institutions of higher education, whether public or private, should be affiliated to a Central Board of Higher Education. This will lay down guidelines for curricula and conduct external evaluation of students. The Board may have branches in different cities but its standards will be uniform. This will ensure that, at least in examinations and the contents of the curricula, a minimum academic standard is maintained. At the moment there are complaints that, taking advantage of autonomy, many private and even public universities are doling out sub-standard degrees. This complaint will be redressed and minimum standards will be maintained.

These sub-university institutions will be able to teach students for the bachelors and masters degrees but not for higher research degrees which will fall in the domains of the few cutting edge (or research) universities mentioned earlier.

5. Infrastructure and Facilities in Research Universities

Given only three or four (research) universities there should be enough funds---and if they are not they should be provided from other sources---to create really modern and well equipped libraries with a would wide inter-library loan system. The HEC is trying to link the universities by internet and creating a database to store what research work is being done in the country. This should be available to all institutions of higher education but research journals, new books, archival material, laboratory equipment, chemicals etc should be supplied to the (research) universities on a priority basis. Unless these universities are really well equipped with all possible sources for research they will not produce quality research.

6. Conclusion

The term university (or other terms indicated earlier) should be used only for an institution which teaches all, or nearly all, subjects; is staffed by the most competent scholars and scientists; and is governed by its own faculty along with outside academics and some prominent intellectuals and media opinion makers. As such institutions can only be very few they should be supported by the state and the private sector. All other institutions of higher education which emphasize the teaching of certain facts and skills rather than research in all subjects should be called colleges, institutes or university-colleges. They should be affiliated for curriculum design and evaluation to a central board which should guarantee that a certain minimum academic standard is maintained in all of them. These steps will enable the HEC to invest resources and energies on a few cutting edge research universities and improve them. Rather than squander resources and energy on a large number of dysfunctional and sub-standard institutions which can never be brought up to the standard of modern, progressive universities, we should create a hierarchical system of higher education with research universities at the top of the pyramid.