Universities in decline

The recently released QS World University Rankings 2026 have, once again, exposed the deteriorating state of higher education in Pakistan. Shockingly, no Pakistani university made it to the top 350 institutions worldwide, a fact that should deeply concern every policymaker and educationist in the country. The top-ranked Pakistani institution, Quaid-e-Azam University, sits at 354. This indicates a large gap between Pakistan and the rest of the academic world. This situation raises tough but necessary questions for our education authorities.

Why are our universities unable to meet global standards? Where is the investment in research, faculty training, innovation and international collaboration? Despite repeated promises of reform, our universities continue to struggle with outdated curricula, weak academic infrastructure and a lack of performance-based systems. If we do not address these core issues now, Pakistan’s competitiveness, economy and global standing will continue to decline.

Kashif Shayari

Karachi