LAHORE: Academics say universities in Pakistan have performed better in the recently released QS World University Rankings 2025 despite meagre resources.

The 21st edition of the QS World University Rankings includes over 1,500 institutions across 106 locations.

The results draw on the analysis of 17 million academic papers and the expert opinions of over 280,000 academic faculty and employers. The United States is the most represented country, with 197 ranked institutions, followed by the United Kingdom with 90, and mainland China with 71.

For the 13th consecutive year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology maintains its top position. Imperial College London has jumped four places to take second, while the University of Oxford and Harvard University are in third and fourth place, respectively. The University of Cambridge rounds out the top five. From Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam University of Islamabad is ranked 315th, and the National University of Sciences & Technology (Nust), Islamabad, is ranked 353rd, both within the top 500 universities.

The Pakistani universities within the top 1,000 are: Lahore University of Management Sciences at 535; University of the Punjab at 570; University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, at 681-690; Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) at 691-700; Comsats University, Islamabad, at 711-720; University of Engineering & Technology of Lahore at 751-760; University of Peshawar at 901-950 and University of Lahore at 951-1000.

International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIU) and University of Karachi are ranked 1001-1200, Bahauddin Zakariya University is ranked 1201-1400, and the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) is ranked 1401+. Higher Education Commission Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told Dawn that the Pakistani universities were performing and were being ranked in the world.

He said the Pakistani universities budgets could not be compared with the budgets of world universities. “Our universities were showing potential and consistently were improving its ranking in the world,” he said.

He said the improvement in education is a continuous process and there were several indicators where Pakistani universities could not compete, especially funding issues but the research of the universities were ranked with other top universities of the world.

Meanwhile, Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood said that budgets of universities in other countries are manifold as compared to the PU budget but even then, PU has received “Best Improved Institution – Asia region award” for the last five years.He said that in the latest QS World University Ranking, PU has been ranked at 570, with an unprecedented jump of 170 positions.

Last year, PU ranking was 740-750 and from 2019-2022 this ranking was in the range of 800-1000.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024