2011 Woman Of Substance

by MUHAMMAD RAHAT HUSSAIN

Professor Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi holds a Ph.D in Microbiology from University of Maryland, USA and has more than 35 years of teaching and research experience. She is also the first woman to become the Pro Vice Chancellor of University of Karachi, a position she currently holds. Dr. Kazmi is the recipient of many international awards in scientific research and has recently been selected as the Country Liaison of the Year by the American Society of Microbiology, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. MAG recently got a chance to talk to Dr. Kazmi. Excerpts:

MRH: Please tell us about your schooling, your family and the reason for your foray into academics and research?
SU: I have three brothers and four sisters. I did my matriculation from St. Joseph's Convent School and then did my higher secondary education from St. Lawrence. In school I had a very nice teacher who used to teach us Biology. I got so inspired by her teaching skills that I decided to pursue this subject. After my higher secondary education I got admission in the Microbiology Department of Karachi University. I was the first child of my parents who had opted for sciences, so I didn't enjoy any help from anyone. I always wanted to do something very practical, something related to life, environment and biological systems and since then, for the rest of my life I have worked with animals. After teaching for three years in KU, I got married, after which I pursued my Ph.D in USA.
Tell us something about your research projects.
My basic idea was to develop a human gastro enteritis model. I wanted to understand the basic theory that why microorganisms have drastically different characteristics. So, I was interested in developing an animal model to understand how these organisms cause diseases in vivo, inside the living organism and how the host responded to that. My intention was to study the mechanism and the disease causing capacity of the organism and developing interventions that could control such infections. Another area of my research is about finding alternative sources of effective and economical components to develop antibiotics. I have also researched on infectious diseases; developing our own diagnostic kits for quick diagnosis of diseases that can cater to the masses and biosafety and biosecurity.
How do you think research and teaching are interrelated?
You cannot be a good teacher if you do not research. You have to be creative and for that you have to have a research oriented mind. When I go to class, I do not talk about the content of the book, I talk about what is going on in the practical field in the world, and this approach brings enrichment to my lectures.
What difficulties have you faced in your career as a woman?
I have not faced any difficulties because I've been bold throughout my career; I have always thought that whatever men can do, I can do that too. I have never hesitated in interacting with men because I always considered them as colleagues or friends. If women have confidence over their talents and if they are competent enough I do not think men can really become a hindrance for them. Take for example in KU, this is the first time that a female Pro Vice Chancellor has been appointed in its 50 years history. Women face problems because they themselves are very shy and reluctant; I always advise girls to be confident and independent.
Being in an administrative position of a public sector university like KU, what problems do you think the administration faces apart from funding?
People think that KU is a place where people can get jobs, as if jobs are available every day. The University is not a place with an unlimited number of positions for teaching and non-teaching staff, and the administration faces a lot of pressure in this regard. Apart from this, since KU is an examining body, the influx of students at times is immense, because of which security becomes a major concern. But such situations can be tackled through proper management.
Do you think the involvement of politics has affected the quality of tertiary education in Pakistan?
Yes, definitely. All political leaders should think seriously that education and health are the most important and crucial areas which need their concentration. They should tell students to concentrate on their studies and try to get the best out of their time in university, instead of promoting their politics. Whenever there are conflicts, at the end it's the students who suffer.
What do you think is the scope of research in Pakistan where there are hardly any funds available for education sector?
Research is very important because we are still a developing country with so many problems of environment and infectious diseases. So, in order to come up with a solution we need to constantly research in these areas. The government has to be very serious about spending in research, education and health. Those countries who do not give importance to research do not prosper. If the government cannot allocate funds, then we should think about approaching international agencies like the NSF, NIH, FAO, WHO etc. In fact there are many scientists in Pakistan who have received grants from such organisations.
Since funding is such a major concern, don't you think public sector universities should explore other avenues to generate funds?
Yes definitely, the HEC has clearly indicated that now they won't be able to provide funds. Last ten years were the golden period for tertiary education in Pakistan because developmental programs were launched and universities were provided with research infrastructure. The infrastructure that was given by the HEC should now be utilised to develop some resource generation projects so that universities do not have to depend on funding from the government.
What do you think about HEC, the last ten years?
HEC has advocated the cause of research education to the best of my knowledge; they've done a wonderful job in the last ten years. Now that their funding has been cut they are unable to give funds, but they have still introduced scholarship programs for post graduate research to manage the dearth of Ph.Ds. They have funded grants and nurtured the culture of research and I think the last ten years have been golden for the tertiary education sector in Pakistan.
What are your views about the comparisons between public sector universities and private universities?
Public sector universities are service universities and they cover all areas of science, education, literature sciences and these all are components which are needed for the development of a society. Will any private university open a department for Islamic history? No, because such institutions offer degrees which are easily sellable. They go for commercial degrees such as BBA, MBA, Computer Science etc. One thing that I must say is that private universities have a control system in place, and they have state of the art equipments which are being utilised properly but such institutes also charge high tuition fees, whereas government universities charge a very nominal fee in return for a highly qualified faculty. Plus the ratio of PhDs in public sector universities is very high as compared to those of private ones, and this in itself testifies the difference of standard.
Do you think that government universities need to explore and partner with other foreign universities to promote intercultural exchange and provide students an added avenue to groom and interact?
We have initiated such programs; the problem was that we didn't have a system in place that could recognise the coursework covered during an exchange program in order to transfer their credits hours here. Institutes must have a mechanism for the acceptance and recognition of such exchanges so that students who have spent a semester or a year in another university can get equivalence. But yes we should initiate such programs for undergraduates so that they can get some exposure.
How frequently do you think a revision of the curriculum is needed?
It is indeed very important and the HEC has started the procedure according to which in every two or three years curriculum committees have been formed for every discipline, which are responsible for revising the curriculum. Things are getting improved.
Do you think that teaching methodologies should also evolve?
Of course, there are very few people who are using overhead projectors when this is the time to use multimedia, but electricity is the main problem.
If you weren't an academician what would you have been doing?
I am a people person; I like to be with people. I like to talk and interact and I don't really think I would've been doing anything different. I like being a teacher.
Any message to students who want to pursue a career in research?
Students should make the best use of the opportunities they have and try to benefit as much as possible from good teachers. They should adopt a policy of trying to do the best and to excel in whatever they are doing.