Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad has achieved a significant milestone by securing the top spot among Pakistani universities in the Times World University Rankings 2024, claiming the 401st global position.
These rankings utilize THE’s WUR 3.0 methodology, evaluating institutions based on 18 carefully calibrated performance indicators across five key areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The extensive evaluation process encompassed 1,904 universities spanning 108 countries and regions.
Quaid-i-Azam University notably earned the 227th position for research quality.
While QAU led the way, 14 other Pakistani institutions also garnered recognition. These included Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Air University, Capital University of Science and Technology (CUST), COMSATS University Islamabad, UET Taxila, GC University Faisalabad, and NUST, all falling within the 601-800 range.
Additional institutions, such as Bahria University, International Islamic University Islamabad, Islamia College Peshawar, University of Lahore, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), University of Malakand, University of Management and Technology, University of the Punjab, Institute of Space Technology, and University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, secured positions within the 801-1000 range.
It’s worth noting that while 49 Pakistani universities were recognized in the rankings, they were classified as “reporter” institutions, signifying their provision of necessary data but falling short of meeting eligibility criteria for specific ranks.
This year’s World University Rankings by THE involved extensive analysis, including over 134 million citations from 16.5 million research papers and survey responses from 68,402 scholars worldwide. A total of 411,789 data points were collected from more than 2,673 participating institutions, establishing it as one of the most comprehensive and reputable assessments of global higher education institutions.
Notably, the University of Oxford retains its top position, while the United States claims seven of the top 10 spots. The average rankings of universities in China, Australia, and Canada have also improved, and China now boasts 13 universities in the top 200. Meanwhile, both US and UK universities have experienced declines in their average rankings, and Indian universities have slipped by 14 positions in the ranking.
