QS World University Rankings, which is officially recognized by the Punjab government and Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), has issued its new ranking of universities across Asia in which Punjab University (PU) stood 145th, making a landmark jump of 87 points in just three years.
In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed said that QS had ranked Punjab University among the best 22 percent universities in Asia while it was counted among top 55 percent universities in 2018.
Punjab University Prof Niaz appreciated Chairman Ranking Committee Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood for making efforts to improve the university’s ranking and congratulated PU faculty members, employees and students on this achievement.
Hence, the PU had improved its ranking by 33.4 percent, he added. The VC said that PU was ranked 232nd by QS in 2018 ranking of Asian universities and PU made continuous progress every year.
Prof Niaz Ahmed said that in just three years, PU’s international ranking had also improved by 16 percent, which was a landmark achievement because it was very difficult to improve university ranking at international level due to tough competition among the varsities throughout the world.
Prof Niaz said that The Nature Publishing Group, a world-class publisher of high impact scientific and medical information in print and online founded in 1869, has also ranked Punjab University No 1 in terms of research publications in the field of natural sciences amongst all Pakistani universities.
PU VC said that for the first time, PU’s 13 subjects had been ranked internationally by QS and PU’s subject of Petroleum Engineering had been ranked among top 100-150 institutions of the world. He said that in 2018, PU’s five subjects were ranked internationally for the first time and PU was improving its subject-wise ranking manifold every year. He said that the initiatives the administration had taken for improvement in international ranking were bringing fruit.
Prof Niaz said that due to promotion of research culture, the research publications of the university had increased and the university for the first time in PU’s history allocated a hefty amount of Rs380 million for research as it was top priority of the administration.
Punjab University VC Prof Niaz further said that teacher-student ratio had been maintained, appointments of PhD degree holders as faculty members had been made and collaboration with national and international organizations had been enhanced, which had mainly contributed to university’s rapid improvement in QS ranking. He said that the university was making rapid progress in all the disciplines. He said that PU was full of potential and its ranking would be improved further in the upcoming world rankings. He said that the university administration has focused on good governance, restoration of PU’s academic excellence and research with socio-economic impact.
Punjab University C said that the administration had regulated all statutory bodies of the university and all its organs were fully functional. He said that streamlining the university’s system had helped improve international ranking of the university.
