Universities in Pakistan have risen at a fast pace in the last twenty years. However. the same cannot be said about their standard. Many universities in Pakistan are not even recognized by the HEC. So before applying to any university do check how well-reputed the university is. Is it recognized or not and how good the faculty is?
A good university entails a lot of elements:
- Recognized by the HEC
- Good ranking at the national and international level
- Good student results
- Well-qualified and well-experienced faculty
- Well-equipped campus
- Graduates are working at renowned companies
According to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2019, only seven Pakistani universities are considered amongst the top 1000 higher education institutions worldwide. The British education experts are known internationally for their credibility and reputation and their annual ranking is considered highly valuable by students, academia and the education industry.
For the seventh year, the top honours went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For Pakistan, the good news is that only six universities were in the best 1000 in 2018 while in 2019 this number has increased to seven. India has 24 universities on this list. The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) attained the 182nd position.
Our pride for the year 2019 include three new additions:
- Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS),
- COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
- University of Punjab
PIEAS got the top ranking amongst Pakistani universities as it did well on citations per faculty and faculty/student ratio. NUST scored well in terms of its academic reputation, employer reputation, and faculty/student ratio. Quaid-e-Azam University has made a lot of improvement in the category of citation per faculty. For the complete list visit the following site:
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2019
Deciding which university to apply to is a very important decision as it will most probably determine your future path and eventually the profession. Hence take your time in researching and evaluating all available options. Check the job market, go to Linkedin and see what people with similar interests are doing, where did they graduate from. For example, if your field of interest is psychology, join groups related to psychology on Linkedin and find out what degrees are people attaining in the field and what professions have they chosen.
Universities that have a strong research department and are continuously researching for new developments are considered innovative. Such universities are always looking for latest ways to improve education. The major issues that create an obstacle in the development of this department are:
- Professors with numerous publications are preferred by our universities over those with fewer but quality publications.
- There is inadequate funding by HEC to support research work.
- Lack of research results in ill-equipped graduates who are not prepared to face the challenges of the practical world.
Thus do check the research department of the university you are applying to. Go through the university website and read university reviews and remarks. When you visit the campus go the research department to evaluate it physically. If possible meet the faculty and the Head of Department.