ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani universities ranked among the top 200 Technology Universities of the World, one of them is Federal Government University, according to Quality Standard World University Ranking 2010.

However, another five Pakistani universities including Quaid-i-Azam University, National University of Science & Technology, University of Karachi, University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore and University of Lahore (Private Sector) ranked among World Top 600 Universities, according to World Ranking of Universities.

Research growth from Pakistan ranked first in two areas in January 2011. The disciplines are Microbiology and Plant and Animal Sciences. The research output in both subjects has increased from 815 in 2002 to 4650 in 2010.

According to a senior official of the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the educational standard of Federal Government Universities is improving in the global rating and the HEC has made significant progress in improvement of quality of academic standards and research in all the Universities and Degree Awarding Institutes of the Country including Federal Government Universities.

A total four Accreditation Councils have been established by Higher Education Commission to monitor the quality of the education in the country, he told APP.

The HEC has adopted a systematic process of reforms in higher education focusing on faculty development, improving and widening access, promoting excellence in learning and research, ensuring relevance to the economy, enhancing quality, improving governance and management and development of technological & physical infrastructure.

A number of steps have been taken to improve the educational standards of the universities of the country including process of faculty development to improve the quality of teaching and research support in institutions through targeted programmes to improve the skills and qualifications of faculty members.

Quality Assessment and Accreditation has been introduced to establish and implement stringent quality criteria developed against international standards to access the performance on both the programme and institutional level.