Pakistan

HEC announces university rankings

Quaid-e-Azam University has been ranked Pakistan’s best university in the general category

Riazul Haq February 23, 2016

PHOTO: LUMS

ISLAMABAD: Quaid-e-Azam University has been ranked Pakistan’s best university in the general category, according to rankings for 2015 released by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

University of Punjab in Lahore and National University of Science and Technology (NUST) secured second and third positions respectively, as per the HEC as chairperson Dr Mukhtar Ahmed unveiled the rankings of 129 universities in Islamabad on Tuesday.

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The ranking was finalised on basis of quality assurance, teaching quality, research, finance and facilities and social integration and community development. “Community development will be integral part in universities to create the environment of social integration and affiliation," the HEC chairman said.

In overall ranking, QAU and PU were not a surprise but NUST which secured third spot jumped three spots higher than last year. University of Agriculture, Faisalabad dropped to the fourth position after securing second place last year. Similarly, Comsats Institute of Information Technology dropped down to sixth position compared to fourth last year.

NUST tops rankings for Engineering & Technology

National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust) in Islamabad retained the top slot in the “Engineering & Technology” category, while Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad remained in second place.

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Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi emerged on the third spot pushing University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore to fifth place.

Iqra University tops rankings for Business Education

Surprisingly, Iqra University, Karachi emerged as the highest-ranked university in the category of Business Education. The university did not make it to the top five last year. However, the HEC chairman explained, “The university is producing some good number of PhDs and that is why it has been ranked the highest.”

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Lahore School of Economics, Lahore retained its second place while Institute of Business Administration, Karachi dropped down to third position.

University of Agriculture in Faisalabad tops rankings for Agriculture/Veterinary

University of Agriculture in Faisalabad and University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences in Lahore retained the first and second place in “Agriculture/Veterinary” category respectively. University of Agriculture, Peshawar which was previously ranked fourth jumped one spot higher to be ranked third.

Aga Khan University tops rankings for Medicine

Aga Khan University was accorded the highest rank in the disciplines of “Medicine”. The medical university in Karachi was followed by University of Health Sciences in Lahore and DOW University of Health Sciences in Karachi, respectively.

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The rankings for this category remained the same as last year except Isra University, Hyderabad secured fifth position after replacing Riphah International University, Islamabad which did not make it to the top 13 of this category.

NCA tops rankings for Arts

Of only two universities ranked by the HEC for Arts, the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore secured the first rank, while Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi came in second.

The HEC chief further stated that the data for 2014-15 will be finalised in the ongoing year and its ranking would be released in the same year.

COMMENTS (57)

Ayub | 8 years ago | Reply Is there any category related to Islamic knowledge in HEC university ranking categories? I would like to check the top university in Islamic education/studies.

M. Asghar | 8 years ago | Reply I was about to get admission in IQRA for MBA. But I did little research and found out the real ranking which is industry standard and purely based on QUALITY NOT QUANTITY. If someone is getting admission in MBA, please don't follow HEC ranking it's totally absurd. Correct ranking for business studies is, 1. LUMS 2. KSBL 3. IBA 4. LSE 5. IoBM

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Saqib | 8 years ago | Reply I think that these university rankings creates inferiority complex among the students of different universities.Obviously,every student can`t make into LUMS or NUST,but his efforts should be appreciated.What really matters is the grooming of the students,not to develop a sense of inferiority complex among them.For instance,when I was doing my intermediate from FC College Lahore,Formanites used to say that they are studying here because they can`t make into Government College University Lahore.So,after my intermediate I chose GC University for my graduation,and here Ravians used to say that they are studying here because they can`t make into LUMS! I`m sure that Luminites are studying in LUMS because they can`t make into Harvard! So,these type of university rankings doesn`t makes any sense at all,but it only creates a sense of inferiority complex and boredom among the students which is very harmful.

Luminite | 8 years ago | Reply Top ten universities of Pakistan (in reality):- 1.Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) 2.National University of Science and Technology (NUST),Islamabad 3.Institute of Business Administration (IBA),Karachi 4.Aga Khan University,Karachi 5.Quaid-e-Azam University,Islamabad 6.Government College University,Lahore 7.COMSATS Institute of Information Technology 8.Forman Christian College University,Lahore 9.University of Karachi 10.University of the Punjab,Lahore

waqas | 8 years ago | Reply Assalamoalikum: what is the category of BUKC? which rank carried on?

Truth | 8 years ago | Reply Meanwhile IQRA students are celebrating over this flawed ranking, IBA and LUMS students are participating and winning in world renowned competitions (IBA in Global CFA Challenge, LUMS at UN and many more). The fact is that these institutes don't care about HEC ranking and are more focused on providing globally acclaimed setting of learning and students development. I have interacted with hundreds of students from different B-schools and found that IBA/LUMS students are not sharp only in their professional life but have better understanding of society in general. All world renowned MNCs, Banks and other corporations come to these institutes for hiring not because they are IBA / LUMS but because of students who make them what they are known for. R.I.P HEC

sara | 8 years ago | Reply for greenwich university it must be an achievement to make it to the list considering the scandal that almost killed and pushed the university to oblivion plus the problem of the lack of variety of people making the atmosphere so elitist its suffocating for students of humble background and non branded lifestyle to fit in.... its a really burger place for spoilt rich kids who only come with mindset to continue the family business or take foreign trips. Technically these rankings are pointless as according to trends of recruiters top 3 universities are LUMS IBA and IOBM .

PlaceMe.PK | 8 years ago | Reply Look like highly skewed rankings or its based on the land area of the university campus? then Punjab and QAU certainly ranks higher, other than that it looks a joke when FAST and LUMS is not included may be they have not allowed HEC to inspect.

Asmat | 8 years ago | Reply Wasn`t Government College University Lahore considered as MUCH superior institution than Punjab University?

Sana Ali | 8 years ago | Reply I guess list is full of flaws also biased. Lets see how it matures in future. -Sana

Aqeel | 8 years ago | Reply Meanwhile i real word, LUMS people are still commanding highest salaries and are on fast track to leadership roles in different walks of life. I dont think anybody from LUMS is worried about not being in ranking. LUMS doesn't need validation from HEC to know they are the best business school.

Muhammad Furqan | 8 years ago | Reply This means ....young student of intermediate will now put IQRA on their priority list instead of IBA ????

shaheer | 8 years ago | Reply its should have been Business Lums Lse Eng GIK Nust Medicine AKU KE

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 8 years ago | Reply @Proud punjabi: MQM was created by General Zia-ul-Haq.

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 8 years ago | Reply Meaningless and waste of time and effort. HEC should follow world rankings of Universities and should try to improve them instead of putting IQRA University in the business category in a higher ranking then IBA and LUMS......This is bureaucracy gone berserk.......May Allah guide us all.....

learningland | 8 years ago | Reply After reading comments I’m really amazed people are judging the rankings without reading how rankings are made, first read it properly how rankings points are done,since Lums started many programs apart from business curriculum that’s why Lums not in business category Lums been shifted in general university category and it lags behind other general universities for sure.There is no doubt in Iqra university’s progress their PhD scholars must have came back in ranking period thus it gave the university more points then IBA and others,so don’t be hasty and please look at rankings by setting aside your personal bias,market value and own perception.

funhippo | 8 years ago | Reply HEC Rankings Criteria perhaps only partially can be blamed for foolish rankings, and top universities like LUMS must also share the blame for not measuring up to the criteria adopted by HEC. If social integration was a HEC’s strong criterion, or number of PhDs produced, or whatever; LUMS must pay attention. Standing tall in HEC and Asian and global rankings is an honor to be targeted, for the sake of students. LUMS has embarrassed itself, and its admirers, unless there was something seriously wrong with HEC criterion and LUMS tried hard.........

gosamaango | 8 years ago | Reply That Aga Khan University is 5th among the Medical Universities and IBA Karachi is after Iqra Univ,smacks of how things are ongoing at HEC,specially ranking of the educational institutions.Do they know Aga Khan Univ produced a PhD in Nursing a few years ago,which was a matter of pride for Pakistan internationally?Similarly,IBA is a very prestigious institute established by the Americans in the early 60s on the pattern of Wharton Business School(University),as a part of their efforts to impart high class education in Asia..............

Mr. Honest | 8 years ago | Reply Just like everything else associated with the government, these rankings by HEC are also FLAWED.

Shakil Ahmed Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Look like highly skewed rankings or its based on the land area of the university campus? then Punjab and QAU certainly ranks higher, other than that it looks a joke when FAST and LUMS is not included may be they have not allowed HEC to inspect.

Wajeeh | 8 years ago | Reply Who cares about the ranking when you know you're getting quality education at your institutions. By the way, HEC should review itself first before reviewing universities!

Saqib Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Lums not making it in business category and FAST not in Engineering, what was HEC smoking?

Fuzail | 8 years ago | Reply @fact is fact: My mistake as I was only commenting on absence of LUMS in the business schools ranking. AKU's mention or lack of it in another list is surely an error, but based on my experience of working with these things, Universities do not give any importance to the ranking criteria of HEC, whereas they should. Maybe, just maybe, AKU did the same mistake too. Who knows?

Leo | 8 years ago | Reply Reading this article, wonder what is the ranking of HEC itself among similar bodies internationally? HEC should have some vision to do such ranking or like this time leaving it to some lowly bereaucrat or baboo to undertake such an important exercise.IBA,Aga Khan,LUMS cannot be second to none in this country.

fact is fact | 8 years ago | Reply @Fuzail: It would be foolish not to note that Aga Khan Uni is just for medicine and hence cannot be included in General Ranking where UoK etc universities can feature and can be ranked based on overall performance, paper publication, international admissions and many other criterion which uni of the world are ranked. The first thing is flawed by including AKU un general category and you think LUMS has not paid attention ? Nice save HEC admirer

fact is fact | 8 years ago | Reply useless and senseless

Syed & Syed | 8 years ago | Reply That Aga Khan University is 5th among the Medical Universities and IBA Karachi is after Iqra Univ,smacks of how things are ongoing at HEC,specially ranking of the educational institutions.Do they know Aga Khan Univ produced a PhD in Nursing a few years ago,which was a matter of pride for Pakistan internationally?Similarly,IBA is a very prestigious institute established by the Americans in the early 60s on the pattern of Wharton Business School(University),as a part of their efforts to impart high class education in Asia,the same period when they established many other similarly prestigious institutions,e.g.,METU in Turkey,American Univ in Bierut and Cairo,etc. So HEC Pls check your rating system again and do justice with these institutions of higher learning.

Fuzail | 8 years ago | Reply HEC Rankings Criteria perhaps only partially can be blamed for foolish rankings, and top universities like LUMS must also share the blame for not measuring up to the criteria adopted by HEC. If social integration was a HEC's strong criterion, or number of PhDs produced, or whatever; LUMS must pay attention. Standing tall in HEC and Asian and global rankings is an honor to be targeted, for the sake of students. LUMS has embarrassed itself, and its admirers, unless there was something seriously wrong with HEC criterion and LUMS tried hard, but in vain, to convince HEC about it.

Rollin & Trollin | 8 years ago | Reply @Certitude: It was at one time but now merely a has been. But where is that all time center of scholarship and scintillating brilliance: Preston University ??

Asad Shairani | 8 years ago | Reply The people at HEC have their own little bubble. No wonder the state of our higher education is so messy.

Certitude | 8 years ago | Reply LUMS is clearly the undisputed champion of business - inter alia - education in Pakistan. HEC, by issuing these rankings, has just published the joke of the day. This clearly made my day.

Certitude | 8 years ago | Reply @ Hamza Khalid: Very Well said, could not have been expressed better.

Rashid | 8 years ago | Reply One phrase comes to mind "you get what you pay for " lol....

Tanoli | 8 years ago | Reply According to HEC Chairman, Iqra "university is producing some good number of PhDs and that is why it has been ranked the highest.” What about quality? How many quality research papers university has produced? HEC's criteria is full of flaws. It only talks about numbers. If one looks at HEC recognized journals, their quality standard becomes very clear. LUMS and IBA do not care about numbers, their focus is on quality and that is why they did not perform well on ranking.

Javeed | 8 years ago | Reply Where is list of information technology uh universities? HEC needs to understand that IT is well paced one of fastest growing industry around the world.

Madiha | 8 years ago | Reply Iqra University No 1 !!!! seriously ?

Ali Ishaq | 8 years ago | Reply @Thora Bora: IU Peshawar got an independent charter is now Iqra National University.

Iqra wala | 8 years ago | Reply Actually it seems surprisingly weird that IBA and LUMS are not on top of the list but the comments also shows the mentality of us that we are in no condition to let any other university beat them.....fake standards. It also reminds me about the story of turtle and rabbit, where Iqra is a turtle and rabbits were IBA and LUMS....!

Bitter truth | 8 years ago | Reply After reading comments I'm really amazed people are judging the rankings without reading how rankings are made, first read it properly how rankings points are done,since Lums started many programs apart from business curriculum that's why Lums not in business category Lums been shifted in general university category and it lags behind other general universities for sure.There is no doubt in Iqra university's progress their PhD scholars must have came back in ranking period thus it gave the university more points then IBA and others,so don't be hasty and please look at rankings by setting aside your personal bias,market value and own perception.

hamza | 8 years ago | Reply Lums not in the list....GIK at 3 below PIEAS...Hec trolling as usual.

SaneVoice | 8 years ago | Reply LOL at people snapping at HEC for putting where LUMS really belongs. Kids, hype doesn't make a good university, quality of education does.

Proud punjabi | 8 years ago | Reply @iBlind: u people from karachi will always complain and blame Punjab for ur own inadequacy. Ur PPP came many times what did it achieve? How many noble laureates have u produced? U created mqm that brought karachi to its present nightmare!! And when rangers and federal govt helped calm the situation u blame Punjab?!!! Such infiriority complex!!

MS | 8 years ago | Reply Ask any serious engineering student where would they rather go to get a degree, Mehran or NED? This list is a joke.

Zahir | 8 years ago | Reply Not LUMS, Not IBA...Its Iqra. The same university which gives you admission without HSE !! What a shame !

Imran Ali Shah | 8 years ago | Reply What about media science?

Hamza Khalid | 8 years ago | Reply LUMS not in the business ranking... yeah I bet thats why Unilever, P&G, Telenore, McKinsey & Co. , Shell (and so many more) .. all top companies start their recruitment drives at LUMS.. what a joke HEC. the institution is a joke itself

iBlind | 8 years ago | Reply Finally, the Quota System that Ayub Khan Installed on Karachi Brains is finally showing a good picture. By breaking competition's leg then robbing their money any one can win. This is the crime that Pak is paying the price of. If Punjab is so smart, why don't let the NAB and Rangers find out what's been going on? Why Karachi has to teach you innovation & comonsense? All those Universities you rewarded yourself is because you don't have anyone from other provinces in your HEC team. Now 70 years of neglect will also have its effect, why not? Neighbor hood bully's rewarded their sons with trophies, lol!

ABDUL FAIQ KHAN | 8 years ago | Reply It is a good effort of HEC.

Rafay | 8 years ago | Reply IBA at 3. LUMS nowhere in list. Am i the only one laughing at this ranking?

Irfan | 8 years ago | Reply HEC has officially gone off the deep end. Bunch of twits.

Director Education | 8 years ago | Reply On what criteria did HEC produce these rankings? Clearly, if it is quality, infrastructure, faculty, than IBA or LUMS has to be on the top in business category. Unfortunately, in Pakistan these rankings can be purchased for few bucks.

Syedpk | 8 years ago | Reply strange ranking how can Iqra jump above IoBm, IBA and LUMS in business ??? Sad to see NED and ssuet not making the cut in engineering section a huge wakeup call for both.

Aalo Ghosht | 8 years ago | Reply LUMS not even making it to the top 10 Business Schools of the country puts a big question mark on the methodology for calculating these rankings. Not wanting to sound disrespectful, but I am pretty sure that LUMS is at least better than the seventh ranked Superior College in the Business category, if not better than Iqra.

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply I am from Qau but that university is no where no 1. How do I guys do the ranking any way?

Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Iqra University on No. 1, ahead of LUMS & IBA!!! What sort of a cruel joke is this!! :D

Thora Bora | 8 years ago | Reply Remember Iqra University, Peshawar was not HEC approved, however Iqra University, Karachi its ranked Top in Business. In addition down with Qilla-e-Altaf...bye bye to KU!

Zeeshan | 8 years ago | Reply IBA Sukkur on 5th , IMS on 4th and Iqra on 1st ?? Seriously HEC rankings system is full of flaws or what ! A more definite ranking system needs to be introduced !

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