An interesting case has surfaced at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST) Gulshan-e-Iqbal campus where a botany doctoral student submitted his research thesis on an insect (a subject of zoology). The thesis has become controversial since the research object belongs to zoology as it deals with the ‘insects’ sub-class of the ‘arthropod’ class of the ‘animalia’ kingdom, whereas the student belongs to the botany department and has submitted his thesis for a PhD in Botany. Rizwanul Haq submitted his research titled “Environmental study of different effects of lead on some physiological and morphological features of diptera flies” to FUUAST’s Graduate Research Management Council (GRMC).
Haq had completed his MSc in Genetics from the University of Karachi (KU). Interestingly, his research supervisor, Prof Dr Farhanullah Khan, belongs to KU’s Zoology Department. The thesis evaluators raised objection over the botany student working on a zoology subject. Moreover, they also believe that some material in Haq’s research was picked up from other people’s theses. The research supervisor and FUUAST Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Qaiser are of the view that Haq did his MSc in Genetics, so he could work on zoology as students of genetics have the advantage of researching in the fields of botany as well as zoology. While genetics experts agreed with them, they said the doctoral degree could be awarded only on the basis of the thesis object. They said the research student should apply for a PhD in Zoology instead of Botany. Although Haq has interrelated his research object “diptera flies” with plants in the abstract, no link was found in later pages after a thorough study of the thesis.
KU’s Prof Khan told Pakistan Today that Haq has done his MSc in Genetics and students of genetics can research in both botany and zoology. In genetics, students study the morphology of plants and animals, so they could continue further studies in both botany and zoology, he added. FUUAST’s Prof Qaiser said the GRMC would decide whether or not Haq could be awarded a PhD in Botany.
