www.academiamag.com JULY 1 2019 | ACADEMIA ACADEMIA | Editor-in-Chief IBRAHIM HASAN MURAD Dear readers, COMMENT Managing Editor Let me take this opportunity to first thank you all for your EMANUEL SARFRAZ tremendous response to our efforts and the praises you Editor have sent our way. Your feedback is of immense value to 08 M. AZAM MEHMOOD BUTT us and a reminder for us to continue moving in the right Dr Sohail Rao writes about the advancement direction. in medical education in Pakistan and what Editor Reporting With the budgets for the federal and provincial goals we failed to achieve ARSALAN HAIDER governments now tabled, it is indeed unfortunate that the ANALYSIS Content Editor education sector received only a fraction of the coverage KHADIJHA TARIQ it merits and some drastic, and potentially dangerous, developments were not discussed by the mainstream Feature Editor 20 AISHA SAEED media as they should have been. For this month’s cover Arshad Yousafzai explores how the Sindh education story, we have studied the five respective budgets and bureaucracy at different tiers have hampered the Head Digital found out where the priorities of the federal and provincial growth of education sector RANA HAMMAD ANWAR governments are and the areas of education where we can COUNSELLING Correspondent expect to see improvements. AMMAR SHEIKH Arshad Yousafzai has did a remarkable job to jot down a story that explains the layers and layers of bureaucracy Contributors 24 that are slowly lowering the school education sector in FASI ZAKA Dr Zahid Khan explains how the peer pressure DR SHAUKAT MEHMOOD Sindh into its grave. The number of officers appointed for is affecting the studies of students ARSHAD YOUSAFZAI (KHI) educational outcomes that are far below par leaves one AAMIR ADNAN (QUETTA) astounded and sad at the same time. FEATURE RIAZ UL HAQ (ISB) This month we are also carrying a piece on the state RANA FAWAD (USA) MUHAMMAD ABUBAKAR (UK) of medical education in Pakistan by Dr Sohail Rao, a NIDA TEHSEEN (AUSTRALIA) standout scholar in the field of medicine who has years 34 Academia talks with experts as to why the FAIZAN ALI WARRAICH (LHR) of experience at top positions in the West. Dr Asmatullah, career counselling is important between the Design & Developed former vice chancellor of UST Bannu, and Pro-Vice ages of 13 to 17 ZEESHAN ARIF Chancellor of Preston University, Kohat writes why cuts in HEC budget could have lasting effects on higher education. Marketing Manager In an exclusive discussion, the country director of Turkey’s SULMAN AHMED Maarif Foundation outlines his vision for Pak-Turk Maarif 16 +92 300 411 6792 Schools and where he plans to take them in the times to come. We have also been in conversation with the Office # 514, 5th floor, Al-Hafeez VC of Government College University as well as with the Business Centre, 89/B III, Gulberg III Lahore, Pakistan. chief disruption officer of ICDF, a think-tank promoting innovation among the youth of Pakistan. REPORT The team also got in touch with students at FCCU to find For online order log on to: out the reasons they love the institute, while we also tell +92 307 444 77 05 aspiring filmmakers where to head to if they wish to pursue [email protected] a degree in film and/or TV production. www.academiamag.com Thank you for your continued support and trust. 26Report: Pak-Turk Maarif schools Find us on are providing quality education Happy reading! services in Pakistan since 1995. academiamag Academia explores how they plan academiamag to go to the next level JULY theacademiamagwww.academiamag.com 2019 2 LETTERS TO THE editor- in-chieff Dear editor, Dear editor, I came across The Academia Magazine at a First, congratulations on coming up with this bookstore in Lahore and was intrigued to look magazine. It certainly addresses some key issues inside. I must say your efforts to take up issues in and your contributors discuss some important education is laudable. I particularly enjoyed the topics through their writing, However, I must say piece on Rural education and how the criminal that you should focus on increasing the content absence of basic facilities could be a contributing aimed at younger audience. Being a student, factor that keeps a large number of children I found the article about aviation degrees very out of schools. I just pray those at the helm of interesting and I think more people like would be country’s affairs take notice of such shortcomings. interested in finding out more about the various I wish you the best of luck. diverse fields available for higher education. Also IMRAN ALI SHEIKH, LaHORE tell if you have mechanism for student discounts on your cover price. It will be highly appreciable. MOHTassIM AHMED, SAHIWAL. Hello Academia Team, I am writing to suggest a few possible improvements in the magazine, which I otherwise Dear editor, think is a fabulous endeavor to put a spotlight on It is finally very heartening to see a magazine the education sector. I was wondering if you could with a focus on education sector. Having been (1) write about the issues faced by teachers serving associated with the teaching profession for over the private sector and (2) how the government 25 years (now retired), I always found the urge to can intermediate to resolve the same without begin something on these lines of my own, but costing the teachers their jobs and the institutions never really found the courage or the time to go their autonomy. Looking forward to an article on down that road. I have thoroughly enjoyed the first my suggestions in the coming issues. Thank you. two issues of the magazine, especially the opinion SALAHUDDIN, FAIsaLABAD. pieces by DrShaukat Mahmood. His sarcasm from his Maxim days still shines through in his writing. Keep up the good work people, and I hope to Respected editor, contribute with something of my own to the I am an aspiring writer and was wondering if there magazine soon. was a mechanism where individuals like me could ZAHEERUL ISLAM, KARACHI. contribute to the magazine. I have been writing in my school and college publications for quite a while and would like my work to be featured in your esteemed magazine. Please tell me if that is possible. I am particularly interested in sharing my experiences of difficulties students face in public colleges. AHMED HUssaINSOOMRO, KARACHI JULY www.academiamag.com 2019 4 COVER STORY allocation, primarily owing to the the provincial government has three The major focus of the Balochistan With all five provincial and federal budgets now passed by sheer size of its network. However, major projects: A Center of Robotics, government this year is to address the respective assemblies, it has become evident where the the sector the provincial government Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain the shortage of facilities at the seems to be specifically focusedon in for IBA Sukkur, establishment of Thar school level by building new schools, overall cuts and raises in the education sector have come. FY19-20 is building infrastructure. A Institute of Technology, NED Campus recruiting additional schoolteachers But what hasn’t been discussed is where the priorities of large percentage of the development of Tharparkar and Sindh University and providing basic facilities, such as AMMAR SHEIKH each government lie and which segment is to receive the budget has been earmarked for campuses in Badin and Mirpurkhas. drinking water. Major initiatives for District Education Complexes for KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA higher education include a massive lion’s share of the development budget in the coming year. education authorities, buildings and The KP education budget for increase in grant for universities, up Ammar Sheikh digs deep to analyze just that. providing missing facilities in colleges. FY 2019-20 is far different than in The province has set aside Rs previous years, as former Tribal Areas 382.9 billion for education, a total have officially become part of the allocation of 16.64 percent of the total he annual QS rankings FEDERAL province. For the very reason, the total are among the few An overall decrease was observed in budget for Punjab. School education volume of the budget has increased HEC has been international rankings two sections of the federal education segment has received around 88 and the KP budget is now split into allocated Rs 59 that are looked up to budget for fiscal year 2019-20, setting percent of the total budget, while two parts: one for settled areas and billion for FY2019- by students, education off alarm bells for all those concerned higher education has received around another for merged districts. experts, academicians with public spending on education. The 11 percent this year. In total, the KP government 20, of which Rs and industry preference this year has been given to Other key programs and segments has allocated Rs 173.17 billion for 28.646 billion has professional alike tertiary education, as federal government such as the Punjab Education education, which is 19.24 percent of as a reliable source for understanding only caters to a small population at the Endowment Funds (PEEF) and its total budget. It might seem, at been earmarked for T the Punjab Higher Education first glance, that the KP government universities and their place on the global school-level and is otherwise the nerve development. To put educational scenario. Like it has been for center for higher education for the entire Commission (PHEC) saw massive cuts has given a big chunk of its finances it into perspective, many years, this year’s ranking was again country.