In Nepal, the PhD degree has become both overrated and overhyped, with an overproduction of PhD graduates that the university system cannot accommodate.
The country already has an abundance of PhD holders from foreign institutions, some with questionable reputations.
Meanwhile, the academic job market in Nepal is increasingly saturated, exacerbated by declining student numbers, higher dropout rates, and a growing preference for foreign education.
The university system struggles to place these highly qualified individuals in tenure-track academic positions, from researchers to professors.
Much like Mary Shelley’s Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who is undone by his own creation, the unchecked overproduction of PhD graduates in Nepal threatens the sustainability and credibility of the country’s higher education institutions.
Obsession with generating PhDs without sustainable support systems
The core issue lies in the disconnect between PhD degrees and career pathways outside academia.
While PhD graduates possess advanced research skills and theoretical knowledge, many are unprepared to apply these experiences in non-academic contexts.
South African universities also provide a useful model through community-based participatory research (CBPR), which encourages students to collaborate directly with communities to address pressing issues.
With limited career prospects outside academia, some resort to engaging in political maneuvers to secure their positions.
This leads to unnecessary interference by student unions and political factions within the university system.
As a result, the overproduction of PhD graduates has made universities political battlegrounds.
When the university system fails to accommodate its PhD graduates, many seek research positions at private educational institutions.
In these settings, job security often requires unethical practices like ghost authorship or gift authorship, further contributing to the normalization of academic dishonesty.
As universities in Nepal continue to focus on producing more PhD graduates to enhance their prestige, they create a situation akin to crafting “Frankenstein monsters”—graduates who, like the creature in Mary Shelley’s novel, have been produced without considering their real-world relevance, transferable skills, or the ethical implications of mass-producing them in an already saturated academic job market.
The abandonment of these graduates by the university system, which fails to connect them to local realities or provide adequate mentorship, has devalued doctoral qualifications.
This has discouraged potential students from pursuing advanced degrees, especially with the increasing politicization of academia, favoritism in university departments, and poor job prospects outside of academia.
Government and societal attitudes toward higher education
The overproduction of PhD graduates in Nepal also reflects societal attitudes toward higher education, which overly glorify advanced degrees, especially PhDs.
The perception that a PhD is a necessary credential for success in various fields has fueled an obsession with obtaining one, despite an oversaturated job market.
In many sectors, higher academic achievements, such as a PhD, do not equate to necessary competencies.
For example, someone with over a decade of relevant experience and a graduate degree can become the CEO of a commercial bank in Nepal.
Additionally, insufficient government funding for higher education has led universities to expand doctoral programs to maintain enrollment numbers and generate financial resources.
Aligning PhD degrees with Nepal’s social and economic needs
To ensure the relevance of PhD programs, Nepal’s university system must align them with the country’s social, developmental, and economic needs.
Moreover, universities in Nepal must recognize that producing more PhD holders without a focus on their societal relevance raises significant questions about the sustainability and purpose of higher education in the country.
One potential model is the dual education system practiced in Germany, where academic learning is integrated with practical experience in professional contexts.
This system allows PhD candidates to work on real-world issues such as poverty alleviation, sustainable agribusiness, scaling small and medium industries, environmental challenges, and climate change adaptation, all while gaining transferable skills for careers outside academia.
South African universities also provide a useful model through community-based participatory research (CBPR), which encourages students to collaborate directly with communities to address pressing issues.
By adopting similar strategies, Nepalese universities can enhance the relevance of their academic research and engage PhD candidates with community-level solutions to local problems.
Moreover, universities in Nepal must recognize that producing more PhD holders without a focus on their societal relevance raises significant questions about the sustainability and purpose of higher education in the country.
(Gaurav Ojha is a writer, researcher, and educator at various educational institutions.)
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