KU played a bad joke on Rehman Malik?

The University of Karachi (KU) has awarded Interior Minister Rehman Malik an honorary doctorate degree in Peace and Conflict Studies (PCS), a discipline for which the varsity has no PhD programme. The PCS programme was introduced at the KU in 2010 and its first batch of Master of Science (MS) recently completed the taught course, but the varsity has no doctorate programme in the subject. The KU does not even offer a PhD programme in International Relations (IR), a department that was launched in 1958. The varsity started the MS programme in PCS last year and only six students appeared for the eligibility test. Out of the four that passed the test, one student left the programme midway; and the three students that were studying for MS in PCS have completed their one-year taught course, but they cannot advance into research work as the KU does not offer a doctorate programme in the discipline.
The students are perturbed because they do not know if the varsity would even continue the PCS programme or if they would ever be able to acquire a PhD degree in the subject. The KU had introduced the PCS programme in collaboration with the Costa Rican University for Peace (UPEACE) to raise importance of peace studies in Pakistan, a country that has been fighting against terrorism since many years.
When this programme was introduced, Prof Dr Moonis Ahmar was nominated as the programme in-charge, but he later went abroad for some courses and left the PCS students in the lurch.
UPEACE Department of PCS Head Victoria Fontan had also arrived in Karachi to instruct the students in the newly introduced discipline, but she also returned later on.
At present, only Muhammad Salman – who graduated from KU Department of IR and studied PCS at UPEACE as well – and KU Department of IR lecturer Muhammad Faisal Awan have been supervising the three MS students who are willing to start research work in the PCS programme.
Interestingly, both Salman and Awan do not hold a doctorate degree to assist these students in completing their research.
An insider said the newly introduced PCS programme had fallen apart when Ahmar left abroad for studies.
The source said, “The three MS students are distressed about their future because they don’t know what to do after completing their one-year course.”
KU has not instructed any student in PCS this year because not a single student has enrolled for the course, the source added.
KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui said he had no idea that the varsity does not have a single student enrolled in the current PCS programme.
Siddiqui said, “If Ahmar in unavailable, then it is the varsity’s responsibility to hire a visiting faculty for the students.”
On the other hand, KU Department of IR Chairperson Prof Dr Shaista Tabassum has shown serious reservations over awarding the interior minister an honorary PhD in PCS.
Tabassum said KU awarded the degree unlawfully because there is no doctorate programme in PCS at the varsity.
She vowed that KU would continue the PCS programme in the future; and said, “We have already published an advertisement for admissions in the MS in PCS programme. The varsity would again advertise for the same by the end of this academic year.”
It is pertinent to mention here that according to Karachi University Teachers Society President Abid Hasnain, it is not essential for the KU to award honorary doctorate degrees in only those disciplines for which a PhD degree exists at the varsity.
Hasnain said as per the university code, if KU wants to award an honorary degree to someone, then it is the syndicate’s concern to approve or reject the suggestion.
Moreover, if the chancellor uses his power to award someone an honorary degree, he or she could do so after the senate’s approval, he added.