Three govt universities improve ranking
File photo of Punjab University. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Three top government universities of Lahore have improved their standing in the latest global ranking released recently.
The historic Punjab University, University of Enginnering and Technology Lahore and University of Health Sciences (UHS) achieved milestones in the QS Ranking 2022. The selection is based on the standard of the faculty, publications, infrastructure, administrative policies and research activities.
The public sector universities in Punjab, especially Lahore, improved their performance despite having suffered financial problems and disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Research grant for the universities has been reduced substantially because of the prevailing financial constraints.
Punjab University has figured in the international ranking in two more subjects this year.
It is among top institutions in 15 subjects in the QS World Universities rankings. The newly added subjects are divinity, theology and religious studies, and engineering and technology, which have been ranked in the 101-130 and 451-500 groups, respectively.
The PU also retained its position in petroleum engineering among the world's top 101-150 institutions.
The UHS also made its debut in the world rankings this year. It has been ranked in top 700 medical universities.
The UHS is the first medical university of Punjab to be in the QS world ranking.
Similarly, the UET, Lahore, which is considered one of the top public sector engineering universities of the country, rose in the QS ranking by 52 places to 324th in the world.
The university was ranked 376 last year and 401-450 the year before.
The administration of the three public sector universities attributed the recognition to good policies and an improvement in the research culture.
"The PU never ranked subject-wise till 2017 but the current administration introduced several reforms and for the first time the university was named among top institutions in three subjects in 2019.
The number increased to five subjects in 2020 and 13 in 2021. In 2022, our 15 subjects have been acknowledged in the international subject-wise ranking," PU Vice Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmad said while commenting on the ranking.
He said the university had also improved its ranking in several subjects as compared to the previous year.
UET Vice Chancellor Dr Mansoor Sarwer said the recent rankings had verified the institution's position among the best engineering universities of the world.
"Our policy is a focus on high quality research and publications through competitive grants. The UET faculty has won 35 such grants thus far during 2022 through the Higher Education Commission's (HEC) National Research Programmes for Universities," he said.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, PU Integrated Mountain Research Department Director Prof Munawer Sabir said it was noteworthy that universities of Punjab were being ranked among top global educational institutions, especially during last two years when academic activities in the province were affected by coronavirus.
He said the academic community must also keep in view the fact that the universities had remained closed during a substantial part of the period covered in the rankings.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2022.