Beyond Specialization: Cultivating Critical Thinkers In PhD Programs

PhD is about pursuing knowledge for the passion of acquiring knowledge We have all read about or been inspired by figures such as Einstein, Aristotle, John Locke, Gandhi, Kant, Mandela, Jaber bin Hayaan, Al-Khwarizmi, and others. These influential thinkers are celebrated for their profound impacts on society through critical thinking and visionary insights. Philosophy encompasses diverse fields, including the Philosophy of Science, Religion, Law, Literature, Arts, Mind, and Mathematics, each offering rich opportunities for exploring critical thinking. To further enrich our educational landscape and foster such intellectual exploration, we should emphasize the importance of including a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in our academic offerings. This addition would help cultivate a deeper understanding and engagement with the critical, interdisciplinary approaches essential for addressing complex societal issues. Pursuing a PhD can be daunting and is an extreme reality because it demands a unique combination of qualities and circumstances that not everyone possesses or can sustain. The process is intellectually challenging, requiring critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills at the highest level. It requires a high level of perseverance, self-discipline, and the ability to work independently, along with the patience to keep oneself proactive despite failed experiments, rejected papers, and uneven results. However, in simple terms, it is a process of putting your knowledge into a blueprint, bridging the gap between academia and practical work. Typically, PhD students are admitted because their ideas or proposals reflect innovative thinking relevant to the department. It is a degree meant for those who seek a greater depth of knowledge in a specific area. We expect discoveries or inventions from such people that may even change a country. In developing countries, where there is a gap in the higher education sector and where the demand for highly specialized and advanced research skills is increasingly evident, the growing need underscores the importance of PhDs, as they are essential for developing the expertise required to meet these demands. Government and private universities offering PhD programs aim to develop substantive knowledge, analytical expertise, and advanced methodological skills. These programs are designed to instill in PhD candidates the ability to communicate their research results and work experience clearly and effectively. In Jammu and Kashmir, universities such as Kashmir University (KU) offer 549 seats, SKUAST Kashmir and SKUAST Jammu offer 15 seats each, SMVDU offers 50 seats, IUST offers 30 seats, and Jammu University offers 270 seats annually across various subjects. These opportunities are intended to fulfill the objectives of a PhD program. However, despite these provisions, there is a notable deficiency in cultivating genuine critical thinking and innovative problem-solving skills. The current focus tends to produce specialists who excel in their specific fields but lack the creativity and out-of-the-box thinking needed to address complex problems or explore novel solutions. To truly fulfill the potential of PhD programs, there needs to be a greater emphasis on fostering critical thinking and innovation. Let's take a closer look at the agricultural universities in Jammu and Kashmir, specifically SKUAST Jammu and SKUAST Kashmir. These two institutions are designed to support and assess the needs of farmers, growers, and others directly involved in agricultural production. However, our local agriculture is heavily dependent on external sources for essential farming inputs. This dependence is problematic for growers and later has very complex impacts. In other terms, it raises a critical question: why have our agricultural universities yet to develop the capability to create hybrid seeds and plants or to establish the capacity for the production of pesticides and fertilizers? This shortfall suggests underlying challenges in research, innovation, and industrial collaboration that need to be addressed to elevate our agricultural sector to a self-sustaining and technologically advanced level. To understand this more precisely, consider that despite the dedicated efforts of some of the brightest minds from various educational backgrounds, who have conducted extensive PhD research on the water bodies of Kashmir with the goal of conserving and preserving these natural resources, we still rely on European countries for advanced machinery needed for cleansing and aquatic harvesting. This dependency highlights a significant gap between our research achievements and practical implementation. I believe the visible negative impact stems from the fact that European countries are developing PhD scholars who are not only specialists but also critical thinkers with a strong philosophical foundation. In contrast, our PhD programs tend to focus on producing specialists without emphasizing the development of critical thinking skills, a crucial aspect of advanced academic training. This difference may limit the broader intellectual and innovative contributions of our PhD graduates in the long run. Critical thinking has certainly played a significant role in the development of Western societies, but we are lacking this aspect in our PhD community. One contributing factor is that many PhD advisers explicitly discourage critical thinking, preferring students who strictly follow instructions and focus solely on technical precision. This approach stifles independent thought and innovation, limiting the broader intellectual growth that is essential for truly impactful research. Reflecting on my personal experience, it is disturbing that many science PhD candidates, even at institutions with strong academic performance, have published numerous papers -- some as first authors -- without any meaningful involvement in the conception of the core research ideas or the writing of the manuscripts. Their contributions were largely confined to performing experiments and generating data, often without a comprehensive understanding of the broader context or implications of their research, leading to a disconnect between the technical execution of research and the critical engagement necessary for true scientific advancement. It is challenging for both advisers and students to start such higher-level involvement early. Emphasis on academic productivity and publications rather than comprehensive training has led candidates to prioritize rapid degree completion and publication output over developing deep, well-rounded analytical abilities. What this implies is that people at this pinnacle of academic careers are in high demand to solve global and regional problems. A PhD holder is expected to be a philosopher, thinker, speaker, writer, listener, and forecaster. To address the challenge of how to produce critical thinkers, the UGC should implement robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of PhD programs in fostering critical thinking. This would include allowing PhD candidates to present their research to public audiences and policymakers, thereby enhancing transparency and broader engagement. Additionally, the UGC could establish a Research Review Committee to oversee and refine research practices, ensuring that doctoral programs prioritize critical and innovative thinking. Encouraging problem-based research would enable students to tackle real-world issues, thereby increasing the practical relevance of their work. Furthermore, introducing multidisciplinary courses would broaden students' perspectives, fostering a more comprehensive approach to research and problem-solving. These measures would collectively contribute to the development of PhD programs that produce not only specialized experts but also critical thinkers capable of addressing complex global challenges. We must make every reasonable effort to provide comprehensive courses, services, and facilities that support academic growth. Most importantly, we should encourage interdisciplinary research and foster a culture of critical pedagogy. The writer works in the Education Department [email protected]