Punjab University is facing a severe lack of trust after a big scandal. Twelve faculty members who received scholarships for PhD studies abroad failed to return to fulfill obligations related to the contract.
The scholars were part of a program that sent 56 university teachers overseas for doctoral studies, with the agreement that they would serve the institution for at least five years after completing their degrees.
However, these individuals disappeared after finishing or partially completing their programs, leaving the university with financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of rupees.
The defaulting faculty members include Farah Sattar from GIS Center (Rs. 7 million), Syed Mohsin Ali (GIS Center, Rs. 14 million), Kiran Ayesha (Institute of Administrative Sciences, Rs. 10 million), Rabia Ibad (MMG Department, Rs. 9 million), and Khawaja Khurram Khurshid (IQTM, Rs. 84 million).
Others are Shamaila Ishaq (Hailey College of Commerce, Rs. 16.1 million), Usman Rahim (Center for Coal Technology, Rs. 72 million), Salman Aziz (College of Engineering, Rs. 9 million), Muhammad Nawaz (GIS, Rs. 72 million), Javeria Iqbal (PUCIT, Rs. 6 million), Seemab Ara (Administrative Sciences, Rs. 10 million), and Samia Mahmood (Rs. 11.6 million).
In response, the university has terminated the employment of all 12 faculty members and is taking legal action to recover the funds. Authorities are coordinating with the Federal Investigation Agency to track down the individuals.
While the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior have been approached to block their passports, the incident has prompted the university to review its scholarship monitoring systems, with plans to implement stricter contractual terms and exit guarantees.
This step is taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The case has raised significant concerns about accountability in academic funding and the need for stronger oversight mechanisms in higher education institutions.