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KU plagiarism cases | SSUET to introduce Masters programme
KU has not given us formal intimation of plagiarism acts: HEC
Karachi, June 23, 2008: The inaction against plagiarism at the University of Karachi (KU)
by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is due to the lack of a formal
complaint by the varsity's authorities, more specifically the Vice Chancellor.
With the continued presence of plagiarisers, who remain firmly
entrenched at the KU without any fear of punitive measures, we called Dr
Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC, in Islamabad, to ask why the HEC had done
nothing about plagiarism in the KU while, on the other hand, it had acted
swiftly against the University of Punjab and other universities on the same
issue.
Dr Naqvi said that they had not received any official news from
the KU. "We take action when we receive information from the Vice Chancellor of
the university concerned about plagiarism. KU has not informed us. We stopped
Rs150 million in funds for the University of Punjab when we knew about it
(plagiarism)."
He vowed to take action if and when HEC receives
'intimation' from the KU.
The saga of Dr Jalaluddin Noori, Dean, Faculty
of Islamic Learning, KU, and Dr Mahmood Ghaznavi, Chairman, Department of Mass
Communication, is still fresh in the minds of the students and the teachers at
the university. However, the university's inaction has lead many to believe that
the authorities are as solid as a rock in their determination to not take any
action against the offence.
When Prof Pirzada Qasim, Vice Chancellor (VC)
of the KU, was approached – prior to the conversation with the
Executive Director, HEC, – he was of the opinion that the plagiarism committed
by a teacher in the Faculty of Arts was pardonable because the offender had
removed the plagiarised section from his thesis.
The VC was convinced
that the crime was not punishable.
The general impression, formed by the
attitude of the VC regarding plagiarism, was that the university administration
does not regard plagiarism as a major crime and that the claim of "zero
tolerance" is confined to mere lip service.
Corroborating this sentiment
is the case of the Dean of Faculty of Islamic Studies, who has been accused, and
subsequently found guilty of plagiarism and fraud. He has managed to become a
professor and the dean of a faculty.
We wanted to see the KU VC
again and ask him about the inaction related to the plagiarism cases in his
university, and to inform him of the comments of the HEC executive director that
he had received no complaint from the university on the issue. Unfortunately,
repeated requests for a meeting could not materialise.
The bureaucracy
in the VC secretariat is appalling and frustrating as a senior Professor said
"It looks like a government's office that has nothing to do with education or
respectful environment connected with it. The VC is busy in cutting the ribbons
and receiving shield at the schools, Arts Council and everywhere while he has no
time to see his own academic staff. It is so disturbing".
Many senior
professors who have PhDs in their credentials are keeping low profile. As one
Professor, requesting anonymity, said, "Look, who is not involved in plagiarism?
Some do it willingly. Some do not know that they are entering the domain of
plagiarism. So, why open the Pandora's Box".
Even the VC was of the
opinion that, "The news of plagiarism [only] surfaces when some teachers bicker
on some point and then start pointing the accusing fingers at each other".† So
the right thing to do to continue the comradeship was apparently to sweep
everything under the rug.
Dr Jaffar Ahmed, Acting Director, Pakistan
Study Centre, KU, was of the opinion that plagiarism was undoubtedly
undesirable. However, at the same time, he said that it was a phenomenon that
had come into the limelight only a few years ago in our part of the world. "I am
against any form of intellectual piracy, but at the same time I know that even
the classic Urdu writers did it in the past." He especially mentioned Allama
Niaz Fatehpuri, who had been involved in the literary piracy.
A renowned
literary personality, who requested that his name not be mentioned, disagreed
with the notion of Dr Ahmed. "Yes, allegations are against Allama Niaz
Fatehpuri. He might have done it. But that does not make a wrong thing right".
He mentioned the name of Hasan Musanna Nadvi, a renowned journalist who was
associated with an Urdu daily as an Editorial writer. Nadvi also published a
journal that pinpointed the plagiarism. Khalid Jaami of Bureau Composition,
Compilation and Translation (BCCT), KU, edits a journal 'Jareeda' that had
especially brought out a 'Sarqa Number' (Piracy Edition) pointing out the
intellectual pirates.
Yet, the issue remains without action; every time
it crops up, it is hushed up and swept under the rug again.
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KU BSC and BS exams began
Karachi: The Controller of Examinations, University of Karachi, has announced that the exams of BSC Home
Economics (1st and 2nd year) and BS Physiotherapy (2nd and 3rd year) would start
from Monday (today). Meanwhile, the University of Karachi, has announced that
the date for the submission of forms for the vacancies of professors, associate
professors, assistant professors and lecturers in various KU departments has
been extended till July 15, 2008. However, the Pakistani candidates settled
abroad can submit their forms till July 22.
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SSUET to introduce Masters programme
Karachi: Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) has decided to introduce Masters Degree
programmes in Civil and Bio-Medical Engineering and Mathemetics from new
academic session. The University is already holding Masters programmes in
Electronics and Computer Engineering. A decision in this respect was taken at a
meeting of the Academic Council which met here on Saturday. The meeting was
presided over by the Vice-Chancellor Mohammed Zakir Ali Khan and attended by
many notables of academia. The Council also approved the Draft Prospectus for
the new academic session 2009. The News
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"THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS GOOD SOUNDS TO ME,I WILL INSHALLAH APPLY FOR THE MASTER PROGRAMME IN CIVIL ENGINEERING.."
Name: IBRAHIM SHAKIL USMANI
Email: brotus_u_too@hotmail.com
City, Country: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
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FUUAST int'l moot on Tues
Karachi: The Department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu
University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) has decided to organize a
two-day international conference on June 24-25, 2008 at the Theater Auditorium
of the Pakistan Arts Council on the 'Struggle for Independence 1857 and Freedom
of the Press in the Subcontinent'.
The conference would be inaugurated by
the minister for local governments, Agha Siraj Khan Durrani on Tuesday, June 24
and would be concluded by Federal Minster for Information and broadcasting,
Sherry Rehman, on Wednesday June 25.
The conference would be addressed by
media experts, journalists, academicians from Pakistan and India. Kuldip Nayar,
Javed Naqvi, Obaid Siddiqui, Ram Naresh Parshad and Khaliq Anjum from India have
been invited to speak.
The invited speakers from Pakistan include Prof.
Zikrya Sajid, I.A. Rehman, Hussain Naqi, Wusatullah Khan, Mazhar Abbas, Dr.
Muhammad Shams, Dr. Tahir Masood, Faiz Al-Rehman, Prof. Inam Bari, Dr. Seemi
Naghmana, Mateenur Rehman Murtaza, Sohail Sanghi, Ahmed Salim, Khawaja Aslam,
and noted historian Dr. Mubarak Ali. Ppi
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