Six Pakistani universities among top Asian universities: QS Ranking-2012

Investment in higher education in Pakistan continues to reap dividends.
According to QS World Universities Rankings 2012, 6 Universities of Pakistan have won its place in the list of top 300 Universities, says a press release.
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) UK is the world’s most renowned and prestigious ranking agency.
National University of Science and Technology (NUST-108) Karachi University (191-200) AKU (201-250) Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) (251-300) and Lahore University (251-300) are now in top 300 Asian Universities of the World.

It speaks volumes of the hard work put in by the management and faculty of these universities and consistent support of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in terms of improving infrastructure, access to Digital Library, providing quality education, providing opportunities for conducting innovative research, establishing international linkages, engaging in collaborative research with leading international institutions/organizations, participating in international exchange programs and producing graduates who are welcomed by national/international industry, academia and corporate sector. It is essential that this growth should continue and further focus on adding quality in research and education to our other universities as well.
HEC is focusing on development of critical technologies including Biotechnology and Genetics, Immunology, Robotics and Automation, Nanotechnologies, Superconductivity, Computer Vision, Photo-optics and Lasers, Electromagnetics and Microwaves and Nuclear Fusion for Energy, etc. which are important for the strategic growth of Pakistan. The next 5 year strategy of HEC calls for universities building Pakistan. It is important that this vision become a reality. Pakistani universities have produced more PhDs in the last 9 years (3280) since the establishment of HEC than in the first 55 years (3000). Research output has grown eight-folds since 2002 (from 815 in 2002 to 6,200 in 2011) which is a remarkable achievement by any world standards. 80% of these research publications are coming from HEIs. Output has more than doubled just in the last 3 years and is expected to double again in the next 3 years. Nearly 5,000 scholars from Pakistan have been facilitated to present their research work in leading conferences of the world. Researchers from Pakistan have established academic linkages with their counterparts in every leading university of the world in the US, UK, China, Germany, France, Australia, Korea, etc.
Pakistan’s scientists, engineers and technologists are its single biggest strategic asset. Till five years ago, these were concentrated in a few strategic organizations; however, the revolution in higher education brought about by HEC has ensured that every engineering and science and technology university has started to blossom into a center of research and innovation.
HEC has integrated Pakistan and broken the elitist myth of availability of talent only in big cities by providing scholarships to talented student belonging to the middle class and poor segments of the society through a transparent process of merit.
HEC has proved itself a role model federal organization which empowers equal and full participation of all universities and provinces to facilitate higher education for the socio-economic development of Pakistan.