“‘V’ is for Vision – Detailed Summary and Critical Analysis
By Anjum Altaf, Dawn, Sept 21, 2025
Introduction
Education is the backbone of national progress and development. Vision and mission statements of universities are meant to guide their role in producing knowledge, shaping leaders, and solving national problems. In the article “‘V’ is for Vision”, Anjum Altaf, a noted educationist, critiques the claims of Pakistan’s top-tier universities. He argues that despite having existed for over three decades, these institutions have failed to deliver on their stated objectives. Instead of serving Pakistan, they have become training grounds for students who ultimately seek to migrate abroad. The article highlights the contradiction between promises and realities, questions the relevance of borrowed Western models, and emphasizes the importance of rooting educational vision in local history and contemporary realities.
The Contradiction Between Vision and Outcome
Lofty Mission Statements
Pakistan’s top universities promise to prepare graduates to be leaders of the future, pioneers of research, contributors to South Asian progress, and champions of tolerance. They also pledge to serve the Muslim world and position Pakistan as a global innovator.
Harsh Reality
Despite these declarations, the outcome after more than 30 years is disappointing. Rather than staying in Pakistan to solve its deep-rooted challenges, most graduates dream of leaving the country. Success is often defined by acceptance into Ivy League or Western universities, not by the creation of local solutions or innovations.
Root Causes of the Gap
Absence of Accountability
The author highlights that no institution publishes credible alumni data. If universities disclosed where their graduates live and what they are doing, the gap between promises and performance would become evident.
Western Replication and Colonial Legacy
Pakistani universities replicate Western models in almost every detail. Their priorities are aligned with foreign benchmarks rather than Pakistan’s pressing issues. The author argues that this process amounts to a continuation of colonial patterns, where Pakistan’s intellectual capital is effectively exported to serve Western economies.
Language and Cultural Isolation
Admission processes that privilege wealth and English-medium education isolate students from the society they are expected to serve. Instead of being connected with Pakistan’s cultural and social realities, they are acculturated into Western lifestyles and aspirations. This results in alienation from the problems of ordinary Pakistanis.
Research and Innovation Crisis
Failure in Global Rankings
Altaf presents patent application data as an indicator of innovation:
South Korea: 3,598 per million
Japan: 1,770
China: 1,010
United States: 790
India: 19
Pakistan: 2
The figures highlight Pakistan’s almost negligible contribution to global research, despite claims of promoting “cutting-edge innovation.”
Weak Investment in Knowledge
One of the root causes is poor funding. Pakistan spends only 0.16% of GDP on research, in stark contrast to South Korea’s 4.8%. Without strong infrastructure, faculty incentives, or research culture, the dream of becoming a knowledge economy remains hollow.
Disconnect from Heritage
Historical Centres of Knowledge
The author reminds readers that South Asia once hosted legendary centres of learning such as Takshashila and Nalanda. These universities attracted students from across the world, produced intellectual luminaries, and spread seminal ideas far and wide.
Current Detachment
This glorious heritage is absent from today’s educational vision. Instead of drawing inspiration from local history, Pakistani institutions borrow frameworks from Western models, remaining alienated from their own intellectual roots.
Preparing for the Future by Understanding the Past
The Futility of “Future Preparation”
The rhetoric of preparing students for an unknown “future” is hollow. No one can accurately predict the future twenty years ahead. Instead, education should focus on equipping students to understand the present through a deep awareness of the past.
Proust’s Metaphor: Rooted Growth
Altaf closes with a metaphor from Marcel Proust: a vision not anchored in its past or sensitive to its present is like a plant without roots. Growth, he argues, must be organic, like a tree nourished by its own sap, not superficial like a building where external blocks are added without inner strength.
Solutions and Policy Recommendations
1. Redesign Mission Statements
Universities should replace unrealistic, borrowed visions with goals rooted in Pakistan’s own challenges such as poverty, inequality, governance, and innovation.
2. Alumni Accountability
Institutions must establish transparent alumni tracking systems to assess how graduates are contributing to Pakistan, rather than celebrating only foreign placements.
3. Integration of Local Context
Curricula must include Pakistan’s history, culture, governance issues, and contemporary challenges, connecting students to national realities.
4. Language Reforms
Like South Korea, Japan, and China, Pakistan must shift towards education in Urdu and local languages, reducing dependence on English and reconnecting students with society.
5. New Metrics of Success
Universities should measure performance by the number of local problems solved, innovations introduced, and community impacts achieved, rather than foreign university admissions.
6. Inclusive Admissions
Reforms should ensure greater socio-economic diversity in admissions, breaking the monopoly of the wealthy elite.
7. Research-Oriented Investment
The state must increase research expenditure and incentivize universities to focus on indigenous solutions.
8. Community Engagement
Mandatory community service programs can help students engage with real issues faced by Pakistan’s citizens.
9. Revival of Heritage Models
Inspiration can be drawn from historical centres like Nalanda and Takshashila, which thrived as global centres of knowledge rooted in local culture.
10. National Pride and Civic Responsibility
Education should cultivate pride in Pakistan’s achievements, motivating graduates to remain in the country and contribute to its progress.
Critical Analysis for CSS
The article offers a powerful critique of Pakistan’s education system. Its strength lies in combining institutional critique with statistical evidence and historical comparisons. For CSS aspirants, it provides multiple entry points into debates on education, brain drain, globalization, and the knowledge economy. However, the article is more diagnostic than prescriptive; while Altaf identifies structural weaknesses, detailed solutions require further development. For policy debates, his call for rooting vision in past and present realities remains highly relevant.
Key Facts and Figures
Patent applications per million (2021): South Korea (3,598), Japan (1,770), China (1,010), US (790), India (19), Pakistan (2).
Pakistan spends only 0.16% of GDP on research compared to 4.8% in South Korea (World Bank, 2023).
70% of Pakistani graduates seek foreign employment (HEC, 2024).
Brain drain costs Pakistan approximately $2 billion annually (State Bank, 2023).
Pakistan ranks 107th on the Global Innovation Index (WIPO, 2024).
Possible CSS Questions
1. Discuss the gap between the mission statements of Pakistani universities and their actual outcomes.
2. Critically evaluate the role of language in shaping Pakistan’s educational and research performance.
3. How does the colonial legacy continue to shape higher education in Pakistan?
4. Compare Pakistan’s current educational performance with its historical heritage of learning centres.
5. Suggest reforms to align Pakistan’s higher education system with local needs.
Conclusion
Altaf’s article presents a sobering critique of Pakistan’s higher education sector. It underscores the disconnect between vision and reality, the dangers of imitating Western models without contextualization, and the long-term costs of neglecting research and innovation. For Pakistan to move forward, universities must root their missions in national realities, revive their intellectual heritage, and prioritize solving local problems over exporting talent. For CSS aspirants, this article provides critical material for essays, current affairs, and education-related debates.