Conditions of Teaching and Research in Economics: Some Preliminary Findings (Problems OF ECONOMICS TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN Pakistan) (Report‪)‬

The paper focuses on the universities and research institutes directly involved in higher education and training of economists. Recent trends indicate that there has been a position change of preference for the subject of Economics. Furthermore, the quality of teaching and research has also deteriorated. Direct interviews and a survey of a few universities and leading research institutes were conducted to identify the reasons for the poor conditions of teaching and research in Economics. The interviews and the survey identify the following reasons: poor conditions of the libraries, poor quality and outdated curriculum, declining quality of infrastructure, lack of accountability, and political interference. The research institutes not only receive poor-quality graduates but also face increasing competition from international organisations within and outside Pakistan, and also from the private sector which can offer an attractive incentive structure. Thus, improvements in the incentive structure, better infrastructure, reduced interference in the education system, and strict implementation of quality control emerge as the prerequisites to improving the quality of teaching and research in Economics and related studies in Pakistan. **********