And Dr. Shahid Hussain Bokhari Quits…

Charlie, if the mission of the university is graduate-level research, then they are screwing up by letting good faculty leave. If, on the other hand, the mission is to produce engineers, they may not be failing in their mission and Dr. Bokhari`s expectations may have been misplaced. It`s tough doing research in a third-world country where gaining knowledge at high cost is not a priority.
BTW, i think Kulharee may be from pakistan. And i`m from india if that makes any difference.

Kulharee, Let me clarify if you are having the feeling that I am unnecessarily bragging about my alma mater. Whatever I wrote in my letter doesn`t make my alma mater comparable to some world class university and neither did I claim this. But I feel that it is better than what exists in poor third world countries and I am concerned about it as some distastrous events caused by university administration headed by a military officer and other by HEC people has resulted in many profdessors quitting the faculty. Sincerely, do tell me ifyou will like to see yuour ala mater going downhill only because of some political matters.

I agree that the tone of Dr. Sahibs letter might seem a bit arrogant. But it makes sense for me as I have been watching at the events taking place during last six seven years. That guy founded first computer lab by begging from some NGO/trust. Government didn`t pay a signle penny. This guy was the key behind the introduction of new courses that in my opinion really mattered for a lot of us. And many more like this happened before there existed HEC or the General. Now, when general claims that he is promoting science and technology by filling library with ``Office XP for dummies`` or ``Windows in 21 days`` type of books, it is certain that people like Bokhari will criticize him unlike the ones who see their benefit in agreeing with him. This makes Bokhari a less influential person in the department. As a result, department is headed by a bad teacher who is not even a researcher, best researcher award goes to a Mullah who did a ``research`` based on simple image processing project which didn`t work in the end, plans are now to extend UET`s EE to three departments and building new campuses in Faisalabad, Gujranwala and who knows what is next. With only a dozen or so PhDs, they plan to send some of these people to those newly built campuses. I think that it will result in degradation of standards.

Dr Bokhari has written a lot of times to HEC, talked with administration there, showed his concerns at various platforms but itresults in nothing but frustration which is clearly visible from his letter.

Afterthinking of all that, I think IO agree with Bokhari that : < b> ``Honest arrogance is better than false humility.``

I don`t know if in India, calling a person an idiot is an insult or no. And Kulhari, with all due respect, there is a lot of stuff to be explained in your first three posts that I feel it quite difficult to put it all here. For example, unlike you claim, HEC guysare not policy analysts, they are researchers hired from various universities and most of them junior to Dr. Bokhari. There is a difference between being affiliated and being a fellow. Yaar, if you are not a EE guy, how can you be so coinfident in claiming this type of stuff.

LASTLY, IF BY ANY MEANS, My appreciation for my alma mater made you compare it with Indian universities and then deducing that I was saying mine is better than yours, I think you misunderstood all. Feel happy. Even ifyou say that a primary school in east Punjab is superior to my university, I accept. Just don`[tfeel being attacked by an article which even didn;`t had a word mentioning ``India``. :)

Re: # 41

Soysauce, you are a good mediator. I agree with what you said. Except that I dont think there`s any bad blood at all. I respect those who speak their minds, and Charlie has earned my respect (I know it is not important, as probably to some earning my respect is the same as losing one`s respect).

Re: # 39

Charlie, calling someone an idiot is not an insult. You wana know what insult is? Let me tell you what insult is. Insult is abandoning the ship and blaming others for that. Think about it. This whole concept of respect (Izat) is keeping us in the state that we are. His job is to lecture and to be professorial, and not God.

Since there`s some bad blood between the two of you, let me see if I could help...
What Kulharee has been saying couched in all this abuse is that this letter was not from a man seeking change. It was a letter from a man looking for vindication.
I agree with him to some extent without meaning to be judgemental. I made a similar point in #22.
It`s perfectly acceptable that Dr. Bokhari wanted out. And his reasons are his own. However, this letter is quite unpersuasive about his point of view.
You also need to realize that from the administration`s point of view the college`s role is to be a diploma mill churning out serviceable engineers. That, in a poor country, is a valid pov. Funding for fundamental research is hard to come by.
Dr. Bokhari, if he wanted to elevate the status of UET could have tried to become an administrator. Unless you are a superstar such as Dr. Atta it would be hard to effect change just by being a professor.

Re: # 37

Charlie, did you go to UET to become a Psychologist? Man, I am finding out stuff about myself that I never knew existed. Well, thanks for opening my eyes. I think I should start bragging about my alma mater also. But I don’t really feel a need to brag about anything. May be that’s where my problem lies. I promise Charlie, I will work on that.

I really hope you are a better engineer than you are a psychologist. You got at least two things wrong about me.

Re: # 38

Soysauce, In Pakistan we don’t like being given a different opinion. This professor who controls 50-60 brats in a lecture hall thinks he is qualified to make education policies governing our educational system. He is pretty much like our Dictators who think that keeping a little battalion of rangroots in check makes them qualified to govern a country. This head in the ass attitude is a fairly common symptom of the illnesses from which our society suffers. I intend to change all of that (without any qualifications, that is).

Re: # 38

No Soyasauce. Only thing I want is positive criticism. I will be happy to starta debate which raises few points to think.
BUT Kulharee started from his first post with calling the professor ``idiot`` then saying some abusive stuff in following posts. I found him non-serious and out of context, do you want me to let him continue with personal and abusive stuff? My serious question: Is abusive stuff acceptable on chowk?

Charlie, I`m really curious. Did you want everyone to agree with you? Was that the point of this article?

#36 Dear subnormal dude,

Look at who started insulting stuff. You started it from post#1 and I responded only in 35 after a dozen of your offensive stuff realizing that chowk staff is sleeping.

One big problem with online discussion forums is that every tom, dick and harry is allowed to write his idiotic stuff. It is like giving in the hands of monkey some sort of gun and then praying that nothing bad happens.One good thing however chowk staff has done is their ignore option. :)

I hate psycho analysis but it is important for some patients to tell them what went wrong with them. One of psychlogical issue with you is insecurity. You are afraid of people around you, belonging to other professions, talking of acheivements of other people etc. You need to realize that an average or a bitbelow than average person like you should not think of being competitive and should try avoiding comparing your abilities with others. Probably, you have some serious inferiority complex which is causing you all this insecurity. Every sentence in your all the above posts shows that: against EE, against engineers, uet and my professors. Best, I can do is feel pity for you. ;)

OK Man, Enough. I already knew from the post#1 that throwing stones in the gutters will result in splash and dirty water coming back to me. from now, you are on the ignore list. Have fun. :)

Re: # 35

Listen you motherfuker Charlie, your professor and you can go and shove each other’s head up each other’s ass all you want, but your cheapshyt stupidity signifies the crap UET produces. Not only does it attract low class morons, but it produces class A arrogant bastards who think that the world owes them something. Now go and give a snowjob to your spiritual father. May be that`s what he needs afterall and is making up this crap about HEC and whatnot. What was his name again?

Kulhari, idiot , bastard, fu*k off and don`t try to pollute the place. Your arrogant comments against the professor are unbearable. Aik machli saray talaab ko ganda ker daiti hay.

Most of your comments are coming out of either jealousy or stereotypes or most probably some inferiority complex.

Need more ``food for thought`` ?

Re: # 33

Hmm ... this is interesting. This guy repairs refurbished washing machines. Dunno why they call them refurbished when its broke.

Economist on the side? What are you ... 15? I have a hundred rupees from my last 10 years` saving, if i save for a 100 more years, i can be rich!

And stop foulmouthing the good Dr. He requires a much better head and hand than yours to be properly criticized, if need be at all.

Respectfully offered.

Re: # 26

Java, I repair refurbished washing machines, and an am economist on the side. I am also a lifelong member of GMHC.

This is so dumb, you guys need to wake up and smell the coffee.

His arrogance might earn him a little respect by other arrogants produced dime a dozen in a dirtpoor country where Tehka & Teep-Top (influence) carries more weight than humility and honor.


Re: # 27

Beej Sahib… the Professor is lucky that he can get away with his arrogance in an uncivilized country and at a B-rated school. If the professor ever tried pulling this trick in any world class institution or in a Civilized country, they will kick the door so hard on his ass that he will forget all about electricity or whatever the hell that he does.

In any event, I wish professor the best of luck in his future undertakes and I hope that he will make Pakistanis and Indians proud by being respectful and does not prove to be such a dick in other countries.

The first thing you teach in any ‘institution’ is humbleness. Whether you study philosophy and economics (like I did) or pornography.

Dr. Bokhari is refering to the current UET Administration and HEC policies that are really hard to understand. I mean the VC of the biggest university in Pakistan is a military goof who got into the army after doing his intermediate and i dunno what he learnt afterwards but he is in no position to decide the fate of thousands of university students and esteemed professors or teachers. Someone has mentioned that he should establish his own research center, well things are easy to easy but hard to implement. I think Dr. Bokhari is currently researching on DNA sequencing. Just imagine the kind of money needed to arrange for this kind of research.
You cannot judge his decision as right or wrong because definitely he has his own views and opinions and we have our own. UET VC also declared him a foul mouth due to his open criticism of the one man policies and nepotism. Someone also said that Tenure System should be implemented, well according to the current system after three years a CSP officer well judge ur performance and HEC has put the parameter of how many Msc or PhD`s are being supervised by any prof regardless of the quality of research work or quality of the publications. A poor quality research or Msc or even PhD has no value and it should be condemned by HEC but they are not taking any action. In some other chowk artcile someone wrote about the degree scam of some very big name.
In the end the resignation of Dr. bokhari should be thought provoking for HEC and Pakistan. If people like him keep on fleeing, then we will be in big trouble.

Re: # 30

Yes, I agree.

I remember doctor sahib once saying that he was here because he wanted that he could produce some more people like him replacing him and hence continuing the cycle. I am not sure if we will be able to see someone like him among his students or no but we should remain optimistic.


BTW, I came to know recently that a very intelligent guy returned to UET after completing D.Phil (What do they call PhD at Oxford?) in quantum physics and he was not accepted at EE Department saying that we didn`t need quantum physics guys at the place. Now the guy is a post doctoral fellow at UC Berkeley.

Kia banay ga in logon ka? I am worried...

Re#29, #28

[… now we are orphans without our spritual father….]

Cut it out – and stop sobbing! Every father must let go of his children at one time or other. It is a true test of how good a job the father has done whether the children can make it on their own – or not! Do your father proud – by proving to him that you guys (and hopefully gals) have indeed grown as individuals – and that what he leaves behind shares that spark of curiosity – that gives light and seeks to learn on its own – gaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge rather than for wealth gain!

[In just 4 years he leaves 300+ pakistanis to earn with grace and honor each year. Sad for my country... ]

If that is the case, I am sure that at least ONE of them will be eventually able to accomplish similar feats and fill the void.

#28 by javaxprt
[… Sad for my country where teachers have no respect.]

It is not an accurate statement, since your professor appears to have gained respect at the only place that counts for an educator – in the hearts and minds of his students!