Higher education plays a vital role in shaping both individual and societal growth. It equips young people with critical thinking skills, specialised knowledge and personal development opportunities, all of which are crucial in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing world.
Beyond this, universities foster intellectual exploration and collaboration — qualities that are highly valued in the global workforce.
Universities are the centres of research and development that tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, creating innovative solutions across various fields. Research journals (in particular) serve as platforms for disseminating these findings, ensuring quality through peer review and advancing scholarly discourse. They are not just publications but vital instruments that promote intellectual progress, collaboration, and innovation.
For higher education to thrive, it must be supported by all levels of society, including governments, institutions, and communities.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, has a critical role in shaping the landscape of higher education in the country. It should ideally act as an enabler of growth and innovation, ensuring that the sector operates efficiently, aligns with global standards and fosters accessibility to all.
A central function of the HEC is the recognition of academic journals, which are essential for advancing research in the country. This task is managed by the Research & Innovation Division of HEC.
Only papers published in HEC-recognised journals are accepted for rewards or recognition. However, despite claims of facilitating national research journals, the process for journal accreditation often reveals a deeply entrenched bureaucracy (sarkari babus), characterised by inefficiency and apathy toward academic progress.
Take, for example, the journal evaluation process. Although the official timeline spans several months (from the start of evaluations in April to the announcement of results in September, followed by an appeal process that concludes in November) the cycle is fundamentally flawed. Journals accredited through the review and appeal process are given just four months before the next evaluation. This severely limits their ability to prepare for the next cycle, undermining the opportunity for meaningful improvement or fair competition.
This creates a frustrating paradox, where the very system meant to support academic growth instead fosters instability and inefficiency.
Furthermore, this bureaucratic rigidity discourages the development of new or niche journals. Many authors (reluctant to submit to journals that are not recognised by HEC) inadvertently contribute to a system that stifles the diversity and evolution of academic publishing. This short-sighted approach undermines the potential for emerging research to gain traction and hinders the growth of knowledge in specialised fields.
Compounding this issue is the lack of accountability within HEC. Complaints have surfaced regarding the conduct of certain staff involved in the journal evaluation process, with allegations of unprofessional behaviour, incompetence, and even conflicts of interest. In one case, a complaint was filed against an official for soliciting substandard papers from acquaintances and family members.
Despite these allegations, the individual in question was retained and promoted, with no public information about any investigation or disciplinary action. Such lapses in accountability create an environment where arbitrary decisions can flourish without proper scrutiny.
The NED University Journal of Research provides a striking example of these systemic issues. Published by NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, the journal has been a reputable platform for research since 1994. It was initially recognised as a ‘Y’ category journal in 2011 by HEC and later upgraded to ‘X’ category in 2013.
However, when HEC introduced its new HJRS database in 2020, the journal was inexplicably removed from the list of accredited publications. This abrupt decision caused a significant loss of trust among local researchers and authors, undermining the journal’s credibility.
Despite being reinstated in 2021, the journal was once again removed from the HJRS list in 2022. Ironically, during this period, the global indexing agency Scopus evaluated the journal and chose to include it in its global database in September 2022. This inconsistency raises serious questions about the transparency and fairness of the HEC’s decision-making process.
Particularly troubling is the fact that the qualifications and experience of the reviewers involved in these decisions are not disclosed, leaving room for the possibility of biased or uninformed assessments. One reviewer even criticised the journal’s website for not being ‘user-friendly,’ as if the quality of academic research were somehow linked to website navigation.
Such arbitrary decisions not only harm the reputation of individual journals but also threaten the credibility of Pakistan’s academic ecosystem. The HEC’s inability to provide consistent, transparent and accountable oversight of academic journals diminishes the value of academic publications in the eyes of both national and international scholars.
Supporting research journals is crucial for the health of higher education. High-quality journals ensure access to credible research, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and help universities maintain global relevance. Effective policymaking and transparent procedures are essential to creating an academic environment where research and scholarship can thrive.
For Pakistan to compete on the global stage, it must reform the HEC’s journal accreditation process to ensure that it is not only fair but also conducive to the development of a dynamic and inclusive academic ecosystem. This requires not just administrative efficiency, but a commitment to fostering genuine academic integrity and progress.
Only through meaningful reform can we build an academic system that truly serves the needs of researchers, institutions, and the nation as a whole.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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