Paper mills

Unfortunately, our education system has failed to encourage students to think critically, conduct quality research, and delve into the nature of things. The lack of research knowledge and skills, as well as critical understanding of issues, are dominant problems among students. There is no authentic research culture present in the country's universities. What is taught to students at the graduate and postgraduate levels are extremely poor research methodology courses that fail to encourage research knowledge and skills. In this scientific and academic era, research plays a vital role in the progress of a country and Pakistan is, sadly, lagging behind in this field.

At the graduate and postgraduate levels, it is not too uncommon for students’ dissertations or theses to be plagiarized. Meanwhile, faculty members are in a race for publishing research papers and create the perception among students that producing more papers is a sign of a robust research culture, which is not the case. To address these pressing issues, it is imperative for universities to implement comprehensive reforms in their curriculum and academic practices. Institutions should create a supportive and nurturing environment that promotes a culture of research and intellectual inquiry, prioritize quality over quantity, and uphold the integrity of academic scholarship for the betterment of our nation's future.

Zakir Ullah

Mardan