LAHORE: Only one university from Pakistan has made it to the top 100 QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Asia University Ranking for 2021.

The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) secured a spot on the list at 76.

This year’s ranking of the top Asian universities features 650 institutions, making it the biggest Asia ranking ever published. As many as 39 other universities from Pakistan also have made it to the ranking.

This year’s ranking has been formulated using 11 indicators - academic reputation (30pc), employer reputation (20pc), faculty/student ratio (10pc), international research network (10pc), citations per paper (10pc) and papers per faculty (5pc), staff with a PhD (5pc), proportion of international faculty (2.5pc) and proportion of international students (2.5pc), proportion of inbound exchange students (2.5pc) and proportion of outbound exchange students (2.5pc).

Quaid-i-Azam University, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), COMSAT University Islamabad, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of the Punjab, University of Peshawar, Aga Khan University, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and University of Karachi have been ranked in the 100-300 group.

The University of Lahore, Air University Pakistan, Arid Agriculture University, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Institute of Space Technology, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences and NED University of Engineering and Technology have been ranked in the 300-400 group.

DOW University of Health Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad, Government College University, Lahore, Riphah International University and University of Central Punjab, University of Malakand, Chakdara, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, have been ranked in the 400-500 group.

Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Iqra University, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, University of Management and Technology, University of Sargodha, University of Jamshoro, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Government College University, Faisalabad, National Textile University, Faisalabad, and Ziauddin University have been placed in the 500-600 group while Islamia College, Peshawar, and Lahore College for Women University stood in the 600-650 group.

Mainland China leads the way with over 120 universities included this year, with India, Japan and South Korea the next most-represented study destinations. Those four destinations combined account for more than 65pc of all ranked institutions this year.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2020