QAU ranked top university in Pakistan

As many as 14 Pakistani varsities included in the ranking


Zaigham Naqvi February 21, 2020
PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Quaid-e-Azam University has been ranked amongst the top 100 universities from emerging countries in the Times Higher Education University Rankings.

It is at the top of the pack of 14 universities from Pakistan who have been included in the list of 533 universities from 47 countries. This is up from the nine Pakistani universities who featured on the ranking last year.

The ranking, for 2020, sees Quaid-e-Azam University’s (QAU) return to the rankings after being absent from the ranking last year. However, when compared to 2018, the last time QAU was on the ranking, its position remains virtually the same. That year, the varsity shared the spot with the Dalian University of Technology of China.

Other varsities who made it to the ranking include Comsats University, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), University of Agriculture (UAF), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), University of Punjab, University of Engineering Technology (UET), University of Peshawar (UoP), Bahauddin Zakariya University, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (PMASAAU), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Government College University and University of Sargodha.

Comsats was ranked at 159, along with the Indian Institute of Technology and the University of International Business and Economics from China. This is down from the 137 ranking it had occupied in 2019.

Similarly, IIUI came in at 221 in the rankings. It was not ranked last year.

The UAF was ranked at 252, slightly lower than the 251 ranking it had occupied last year.

LUMS and NUST came in at 271 and 275 respectively. LUMS was not included in the ranking last year while NUST has slid from the 233 spot it occupied in 2019.

The list is dominated by China which has 81 universities listed, including the top four spots and seven positions in the top 10.

THE had identified in 2016 a block of countries with a gross domestic product of less than $15,000. It included the TACTICS countries, including Thailand, Argentina, Chile, Turkey, Iran, Colombia and Serbia.

QAU alumni demands special package

Appreciating the high ranking of the varsity in the THE ranking, the alumni association of QAU on Thursday demanded that a special package should be issued for the varsity.

The core committee of the association in a statement on Thursday said that despite the continued annual deficit of more than Rs500 million, illegal encroachments of its land, and other severe problems, the varsity has performed exceptionally.

With financial support and patronage from the federal government, the varsity can win further laurels for Pakistan at both the regional and international levels, said members of the Alumni Association.

The THE Emerging Economies Ranking 2020 is based on the 13 same performance indicators as the THE World University Rankings to judge institutions on their teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2020.

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