Academic future of Pakistani students at Risk

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) introduced a Dual Degree Programme in association with the Lancaster University (LU) in year 2009, however since the institute did not use proper channels along with the Higher Education Commission, the academic future of more than 2600 aspirants is at risk. Presently almost 15 aspirants are registered in the programme have taken legal action against CIIT for non-issuance of degrees to them.

Allegedly, there are approximately b130 aspirants who have graduated under the dual degree programme however they have not received their degrees up till now. Presently, almost 2500 students are registered in the Comsats Lahore Campus for business studies, engineering and computing undergrad degrees. Last year in 2014, the university issued the graduates the LU degree however not issued the dual degree. The CIIT requested that the HEC rejected them from granting the dual degree like no law existed in this regard.

In spite of the HEC warning that the institute should not inaugurate any more aspirants, CIIT opened its doors for the programme in year 2014 to the new batch of aspirants for the dual degree program as well as the charging fees from both national and international students. When CIIT Registrar Izharul Haq was questioned why the passed out students are yet to be recognized along with the UK and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), he replied out that they have received the letter from the LU for registration of aspirants only few days ago.

The Federal intermediary office has counseled HEC to either the institute should send on the promise of dual degrees or repayment the students along with their fee for the programme. The programme has been shut down for more registration till advance notice.

Because of the failure of not attaining the non-objection certificate from the commission, PEC or its board of governors (BoG), the MoU is currently worthless and takes potentially put an impediment on the students who are registered in the program. This issue was discussed in 2011 in a series of meetings; it was recommended that a joint degree of CIIT as well as LU or one degree of CIIT or LU together with the combined transcript dually approved by local and also the foreign professional authorization councils should be provided. CIIT went together with the choice of the joint transcript and one degree from LU on 15^th October 2014.

The programme was initially exposed in 2009 under the guidance of the Science and Technology Ministry as well as the Planning Commission of Pakistan. A memo of understanding (MoU) was signed together with the Lancaster University (LU), UK. The HEC was informed regarding the programme on October 13th as well as 28th; however one of the conditions of the MoU was for CIIT to gain the endorsement of the HEC and other leading bodies before Jan 1st, 2011. But, CIIT failed to do so which eventually lead to the agreement becoming worthless and invalid as well. CIIT, Higher Education Commission as well as the other governing bodies are taking action in order to solve the matter quickly.