HEC to review eligibility criteria for interim placement of PhD programme

By Myra Imran
November 16, 2018

Islamabad : To strengthen placement of PhD graduates in all Higher Education Commission (HEC) recognised universities, the HEC plans to review the eligibility criteria under Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) programme.

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The initiative is part of measures proposed by HEC’s efforts to help increase employment opportunities for PhD graduates while recognizing the hardships facing unemployed PhDs.

“HEC recognises difficulties being faced by the unemployed PhDs,” says a press release issued by the Commission on Thursday. It statement that to alleviate the hardships, HEC has held several deliberations with representatives of unemployed PhDs and other stakeholders to evaluate the problem and institute steps that will help in creating additional employment opportunities for PhD graduates. According to the statement, eligibility criteria under Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) programme will be reviewed and HEC will institute capacity building programmes for the development of young PhD graduates in essential soft skills, including measures to assess and determine capacity building needs. HEC will also evaluate the possibility of including R&D organisations and affiliated colleges -- through the corresponding affiliating university -- under IPFP to open up new placement opportunities. The process will be completed within a period of 30 days.

HEC will compile data on current faculty recruitment practices in HEIs with reference to regular vis-à-vis visiting, contractual, daily paid and subject specialist faculty, undertake analysis thereof and issue advice to the HEIs with regards to the admissible ratio of regular vis-à-vis temporary faculty, periodical convening of Selection Boards, and completion of recruitment cycle within a period of 90 days. Incompliance of the policy guidelines will have reflection on the university funding and ranking. The exercise will be completed within a period of six weeks.

The eligibility criteria for international Post Doc Fellowships will be revised to include both employed and unemployed PhD graduates upon approval of the competent authority. All unemployed and employed PhD graduates will register themselves at PhD Data Bank launched by the HEC in August 2018 to avail HEC services within a period of 30 days. Un-registered PhD scholars shall not be considered eligible for HEC services.

HEC also plans to examine the feasibility of instituting ‘PhD Scholars Support Programme’ for protecting their livelihood. Under the programme, unemployed PhD graduates will be placed at all public educational, research and administrative institutions for a maximum period of 12 months.

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