The Quality Of Pakistani Research Charlie and Zamanov,
Let me respond to your common point first, the practicality of research. I think you will agree with me that it is not possible for the HEC, or any other agency for that matter, to scrutinize and fairly judge the degree of practicality of anybody`s research beforehand. Research areas change and the final thesis rarely ever turns out to be exactly what the author envisioned at the outset. Even if the research work is clearly outlined at the outset (rarely ever the case) a fair assessment will require a specialist in that particular area, and if we had that many specialists available to start with our problem of lack of brain/manpower may not be as big as it is.
The only feasible means by which a certain degree of applicability and usefulness of research work can be judged is by a broad classification into the pure and applied sciences. By emphasizing and being slanted in favor of engineering education the HEC is accomplishing just that. But you will agree with me that by merely funding applied research and leaving people in the pure sciences to fend for themselves we would be as guilty of neglect as not funding studies into social science (as Zamanov just pointed out). Work in the applied sciences certainly does not materialize out of thin air, but is based on pure sciences. And we certainly lag behind in the pure sciences, perhaps, more even than in engineering. It is my personal observation that one of the reasons many Pakistanis have a hard time getting started, settled and up to speed in their PhD work is because our knowledge of basic sciences like Mathematics and Physics is nowhere near where it should be. An undergraduate degree from even one of Pakistan`s elite institutes that Zamanov mentioned hardly prepares you for the rigors of grad school in the US. In my view there is most certainly a need for funding studies in areas other than engineering.

Zamanov`s ideas about a technology incubators that operate with the support of industry are certainly good. I believe the PSEB is offering its support for technology incubators in Lahore. I do not know though how much industry involvement there is. Entrepreneurship like that requires the availability of venture capitalists (VCs) of which there are few in Pakistan, actually none that I know of.