Pakistan's Universities Fall Short in Global Rankings

Pakistan's education sector struggles to compete on a global scale due to inadequate funding, political inaction, and inconsistent quality standards. Experts advocate for comprehensive reforms, focusing on enhancing industry-academia linkages, faculty development, accreditation processes, and curriculum updates.

Professor Tahir highlighted the need to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, and critical thinking through initiatives like business incubators, startup support, and executive education programs. He also underscored the importance of integrating internships, apprenticeships, and real-world consulting projects to equip students with practical skills.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has taken steps to address these issues by introducing the Quality Assurance Framework (PSG-2023) in collaboration with the British Council. This framework applies 16 Institutional Quality Standards to evaluate and classify institutions for targeted funding and policy interventions.

Educationists have urged the HEC to establish partnerships with foreign universities, enabling the adoption of best practices and global expertise. They stress the need for a dynamic higher education sector capable of contributing significantly to Pakistan's economic growth.

However, the unchecked expansion of private universities has diluted education standards, while public institutions also face declining quality. To thrive globally, Pakistan must revisit its policies, strengthen curricula, and ensure higher standards across institutions to produce a competent, globally competitive workforce.

HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed emphasized that the new framework will encourage collaboration, innovation, and continuous quality improvement. Institutions will undergo rigorous external accreditation and internal self-assessment to maintain educational excellence.