Quaid-i-Azam University ranked among top 100 varsities of Asia

LONDON: The ranking of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad has risen up and it is now among the top 100 varsities of Asia as ranked by the Times Higher Education (THE).

QUA broke into the top 100 Asia University Rankings 2018 after making a considerable jump from its previously held ranking in the 121-130 band.

The other Pakistani varsity on the list is Comsats Institute of Information Technology (COMSATS), which jumped up to the 125th spot from the 141-150 band.

The latest rankings feature 10 Pakistani universities. An addition of three up from the seven in 2017’s list.

However, the ranking an addition is also due to the expansion of the list, which now facilitates 350 plus universities.

The list is dominated by Chinese varsities, who make up for as much as 20 per cent of the varsities listed. Tsinghua University is China’s highest-ranked institution.

Other Pakistani universities that managed to make a spot for themselves on the list are National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST on 162), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (251–300), Bahauddin Zakariya University (301–350), University of Lahore (301–350), University of Peshawar (301–350), PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (301–350), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore (UVAS, 301–350) and Government College University Lahore (GCU on 351+).

Times Higher Education editorial director, Phil Baty congratulated Pakistan for having 10 universities on their list but also highlighted the ‘lack of research environment’ in the Pakistani educational system.

“It is a fantastic achievement that Pakistan now has 10 universities in the Asia rankings and that its two leading universities have risen up the table. But the country’s poor research environment, not helped by a lack of funding, is preventing the nation from fulfilling its higher education potential,” he said.

“Research must be made a priority if a country wants to stand out from its competition on the world’s largest continent,” he added.

In South Asia, India leads with 42 representatives — up from 33 last year.

The ranking’s top 100 universities have 21 entrants from Muslim countries, including the 10 from Pakistan.