OUR passport is the first barrier we navigate before joining a class, conference, fellowship, or an international research project. As a PhD student, I still remember the prolonged scrutiny that began at the time of departure and ended after one walked out of a foreign airport. This was inevitable even though all prerequisites had been met because mine was a green passport. The Pakistani passport dilemma is not new. It now needs to be seen from an educational perspective, often eclipsed by the disadvantages faced by business, tourism and other sectors. The educational cost is greater; visa delays result in missed admission deadlines, fellowship opportunities as well as scholarly events.

International mobility for academic pursuits — international conventions, exchange programmes, visiting fellowships, joint degrees, summer schools and collaborative grants — is the hallmark of modern higher education. But the global mobility problem has grown increasingly challenging. Students and scholars with strong passports enjoy uninterrupted mobility — an invite is swiftly followed by a ticket, hotel booking, and a short visa form. For others, such as Pakistanis, the same invitation opens the door to an endless process —........

© Dawn