In recent years, a quiet shift has taken root in universities across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and beyond: the steady rise of visiting and contractual lecturers as the dominant teaching force. These educators, often highly qualified, are hired on short-term or course-by-course bases—without job security, research time, or long-term institutional support.
While this model may seem administratively convenient, its long-term costs for students, faculty, and the integrity of higher education are mounting.
Most public universities cite bureaucratic delays and budgetary constraints as reasons for avoiding regular appointments. Meanwhile, private institutions—many charging steep fees—increasingly rely on part-time faculty to reduce overheads and offer flexible programs. This practice has created a two-tiered academic system where the majority of teaching is done by faculty with no permanence, little professional growth, and minimal influence over curricular decisions.
The implications are serious. Students often experience a revolving door of instructors, which disrupts continuity in learning and undermines mentorship. Visiting faculty, juggling multiple institutions to make ends meet, have little time to offer guidance beyond the classroom. Research productivity suffers as instructors focus on short-term teaching rather than long-term scholarly work.
This is not to discount the value visiting faculty bring—industry experience, fresh perspectives, and specialized knowledge. But when they become the norm rather than the exception, academic depth gives way to institutional expediency.
What’s needed is a strategic rethinking. Universities must invest in permanent academic staff to build strong departments, foster research culture, and offer sustained mentorship. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) should prioritize reforms that incentivize long-term appointments, and streamline recruitment processes in the public sector. Private institutions, too, must be held accountable for hiring practices through stronger accreditation frameworks.
Higher education is not a temporary transaction; it is a long-term commitment to knowledge and nation-building. If we wish to produce thinking citizens, not just degree-holders, we must invest not only in campuses and curricula—but in the people who teach.
