NUML has been in the headlines for sometimes now. And perhaps, it is good for an educational Institute to make it to the news, but unfortunately, NUML has been doing so for all the wrong reasons.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=243195
NUML specialises in degrees for cronies
Saturday, June 05, 2010
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The Rector of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who scandalously got his doctorate under the supervision of his own subordinates and awarded a degree to himself, also managed degrees for his team members by personally supervising the research of three of his directors.
A retired major general, who previously headed the Good Governance Department of NUML and now is a member of prestigious Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), also completed his degree under the rector’s supervision, while being the head of the Governance Department.
Brig (retd) Aziz Ahmad undertook their supervision despite the fact that their degrees were about human resource development and the rector did his doctorate in English Literature. The rector has not only supervised research work of others not related to his own subject, he also has been teaching management sciences and good governance there.
A questionnaire was sent to the rector but he refused to answer the points raised. However, the dean of Faculty of Advance and Integrated Studies (FAIS), Dr Shazra, confirmed to The News that the rector was the supervisor in, at least, four cases.
The News also contacted Maj Gen (retd) Qureshi, who confirming being supervised by the rector, said it was not his fault and instead was the decision of the NUML management to have his work supervised by Brig (retd) Aziz Ahmad.
He said such finger-pointing had forced him to abandon plans of doing his PhD from the NUML. But Dr Shazra insisted Maj Gen (retd) Qureshi was the head of the Governance Department when he completed his Masters.
The directors of examination and finance also confirmed being supervised by the rector. The additional director of academic branch, however, was not available for comments. All these four cases stand out prominently since the candidates were under direct subordination of the rector serving on positions crucial for running the university’s business.
Maj Gen (retd) Owais Mushtaq Qureshi, now member FPSC, did his MS in Management Sciences from the NUML when was heading the Good Governance Department and intriguingly, the rector was supervising his research.
Before Maj Gen (retd) Qureshi, it was the rector’s daughter, Ayesha, heading the department and she was appointed visiting professor there that was declared unlawful by a team of auditors because it was done without advertising the slot.
As the rector sent her daughter Ayesha along with her husband, Waqas, to the UK for NUML-funded PhD, Maj Gen (retd) Qureshi was made the head of the department.
Now he has been appointed as an FPSC member with these credentials and would be assessing the competency of candidates for superior service jobs. He has been replaced in the Good Governance Department by another retired major general, Usman Shah, who had previously headed a committee selected the rector’s daughter and son-in-law for the PhD scholarship.
Bashir Ahmad, director examination of the NUML, is second case in point besides Maj Gen (retd) Owais Qureshi supervised by the rector. He not only had himself enrolled for MS in Human Resource Development (HRD) in the university whose examination branch is headed by him, his thesis was supervised by the rector whose specialisation is in English, not HRD.
Tufail Khalil, director finance, is third in the row doing MS in HRD from the NUML and supervised by the rector. Jehangir Akhtar, additional director of academic branch of the NUML, also did his MS in HRD from the same university and research work supervised by the rector.
To a question whether rules were violated, an official said it is more about the academic ethics and conflict of interest than the rules. The official further questioned how a rector with doctorate in English can supervise the work of candidates doing MS in Human Resource Development and Management Sciences.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=243195
