By Dr Bushra Yasmeen

With reference to the first ever International Conference on Social Sciences which was held in Pak-China Friendship Center, Islamabad on February 24-25, 2016, several “Issues and Challenges” were discussed in different sessions by well-known educationists and sociologists. Being a social scientist and a participant of the conference, I intend to bring attention towards very some important “Issues and the Challenges” faced by the social scientists through The Educationist , premieres education newspaper of Pakistan:

1. In HEC faculty criteria for the post of assistant and associate professor, under experience, words of “relevant field” indicate that only persons who are working in the education department are eligible to apply. Government employees working in other departments if they earned PhD degree cannot apply for the same. Punjab Public Service Commission never accommodates such PhDs. PPSC said that this is against the Higher Education Department Policy. The question arises here: Where Government Employees should apply? As they do not have “Relevant Experience”.
2. Publication of research articles in public sector universities journals is the other very important issue. The respectable professors are the editors of these X & Y category journals. They only consider articles of their dear and near ones. Researchers like myself never ever be considered by these professors.

Hijacking of scholarly research work is very common trait in public sector universities. Question is WHY it is so? The other issue is unnecessary delays in the publication of research articles. Chief Editors and editors always keep on lying and use different techniques to keep scholars waiting for a long time.

These are the issues and challenges that need considerations not only by the HEC but all educationists.

(The writer is assistant professor in Department of Sociology at Lahore Leads University and a doctor of

philosophy in Sociology from PU. She can be reached at: [email protected])