In a significant turn of events at the prestigious University of Karachi, regular faculty members have emerged victorious in their ongoing dispute with the administration.
The university administration has officially announced a waiver of MPhil and PhD fees for teachers, a move that comes in the wake of ten days of intense protests and a teaching boycott led by the teachers' association.
The decision to exempt teaching staff from MPhil and PhD fees was formally communicated through a notification issued by Prof. Abdul Waheed, the university's registrar.
This remarkable development extends to non-teaching staff members as well. With both morning and evening classes disrupted by the protests, nearly a hundred dedicated educators had been refusing to instruct approximately 46,000 students until their demands were met.
Among the primary demands articulated by the protesting teachers were the prompt payment of fees for evening classes and the exemption from MPhil and PhD fees. Notably, the latter demand has now been fulfilled, as per the recent notification.
According to the notification, faculty members will no longer be required to bear the financial burden of admission, enrollment, semester examination, thesis evaluation, or viva examination fees for their MPhil and PhD studies. This transformative decision paves the way for university teachers to pursue advanced degrees without any financial constraints.
Prior to this fee waiver, MPhil students at the University of Karachi were obligated to pay fees amounting to Rs. 332,000, while PhD students had to bear a cost of Rs. 407,000. Additionally, the university will now shoulder the expenses associated with thesis evaluation, which includes payments to foreign referees – typically amounting to approximately $200 per student.
It is worth noting that upon the successful completion of their MPhil or PhD degrees, these faculty members will also become eligible for a monthly allowance of Rs. 25,000 from the exchequer. This additional benefit further underscores the positive impact of this groundbreaking fee waiver on the university's teaching community.
This development marks a significant stride towards ensuring equitable access to higher education for educators, highlighting the university's commitment to nurturing academic excellence and research endeavors among its faculty members. As the teaching community rejoices in this momentous victory, it is expected to have a profound and lasting impact on the pursuit of knowledge and academic excellence at the University of Karachi.
The university administration has officially announced a waiver of MPhil and PhD fees for teachers, a move that comes in the wake of ten days of intense protests and a teaching boycott led by the teachers' association.
The decision to exempt teaching staff from MPhil and PhD fees was formally communicated through a notification issued by Prof. Abdul Waheed, the university's registrar. This remarkable development extends to non-teaching staff members as well. With both morning and evening classes disrupted by the protests, nearly a hundred dedicated educators had been refusing to instruct approximately 46,000 students until their demands were met.
Among the primary demands articulated by the protesting teachers was the prompt payment of fees for evening classes and the exemption from MPhil and PhD fees. Notably, the latter demand has now been fulfilled, as per the recent notification.
According to the notification, faculty members will no longer be required to bear the financial burden of admission, enrollment, semester examination, thesis evaluation, or viva examination fees for their MPhil and PhD studies. This transformative decision paves the way for university teachers to pursue advanced degrees without any financial constraints.
Prior to this fee waiver, MPhil students at the University of Karachi were obligated to pay fees amounting to Rs. 332,000, while PhD students had to bear a cost of Rs. 407,000. Additionally, the university will now shoulder the expenses associated with thesis evaluation, which includes payments to foreign referees – typically amounting to approximately $200 per student.
