RESEARCH is a systematic way of finding a solution to research questions. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) provide a platform for conducting research with the help of an expert who supervises the whole research process. He utilizes the library, laboratories and other resources to find solutions to the research problem. The subject expert or supervisor is one of the primary resources in the whole process. Although he is called a Supervisor, he is Super Wiser in his domain and knows all the core concepts of the domain as well as current research trends and techniques in the discipline. He knows suitable and appropriate approaches for finding solutions to problems identified during the research process.
Students with shallow knowledge develop a raw idea about a research problem, and the supervisor guides them to use valid techniques to find practical solutions. Most of the faculty is overloaded with teaching and administrative workload, resulting in less time for research. It is the responsibility of the HEI to have a balanced workload policy. If a faculty member has won a funded research grant, then he may be engaged in limited teaching activity as that will help him to supervise project activities with more dedication. The excellent project execution may help him to get more grants in the next round of calls for projects. This will help to develop a research platform in that discipline and with consistent efforts a centre of excellence can be established in that domain.
The research students enrolled in M.Phil/MS and PhD levels need dedicated time regularly to first develop a research problem and then follow a research process to explore various solutions. According to the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC’s) Graduate Education Policy (GEP) 2023, a faculty member can supervise seven M.Phil/MS and five PhD students at a time. However, due to the different stages of the students—some may be at an initial stage, while others may be in the final stage—maintaining this ratio is challenging. The primary reason is over-enrolment at the graduate level in some public and private sector universities, often driven by the need for public sector universities to generate funds for running expenses and for private sector universities to recover their investments in infrastructure and other fixtures.
Additionally, there is a misconception that a supervisor is necessary for every graduate-level student, regardless of whether they start research after one year of coursework. This not only confuses students but also reserves supervision slots for research. It is essential to allow students to complete their coursework first, during which they can develop their interests in various research areas. Following this, they can discuss their research interests with available faculty for supervision. The university department may decide or allocate a supervisor in consultation with faculty members and students, helping to match the right minds with the right research. GEP 2023 emphasizes that a Supervisor should be a person who is committed to research. He is required to give clear and productive feedback to the students during the research phase. As research conducted for the PhD is the intellectual property of both the supervisor & supervisee, therefore, publications made from that research will carry the names of both. As the major contribution is of the student, therefore, he will be the first author.
The HEI is responsible for arranging MOOCs or other professional development courses for the supervisor regularly to update their knowledge about the basic & latest research techniques. The main feature of the policy is the requirement of developing a supervision manual. It will make the whole supervision process more focused and transparent. The supervision manual serves as a detailed guide for both supervisors and supervisees, ensuring a smooth, productive and respectful relationship throughout the supervision process. The first and foremost thing in this regard would be describing the role of the supervisor which includes systematically guiding the supervisee during the research process.
The second important matter would be to describe the potential period for the research as per institutional policies and keeping in view the nature of the research. The minimum time duration for the PhD is three years which may be extended with the approval of relevant authority if anything is beyond the control of the human. The third element is that the supervisor and supervisee both appear well-prepared during the meeting(s). The supervisee should seek a proper time slot and email all relevant material for discussion. The discussion points should be noted properly and milestones be linked to it. The fourth point is about respecting each other’s opinions and respectably justifying things. The social, cultural, and ethical norms need to be followed in such meetings. Motivation plays an important role; therefore, it is expected that the supervisor will keep inspiring to carry out complicated tasks with a step-by-step approach. It is the writer’s own opinion
—The writer is Director at Higher Education Commission, Islamabad.
(muahmed@hec.gov.pk)
