City Desk
ISLAMABAD: Quaid-i-Azam University has retained its position as Pakistan’s top higher education institution, ranking 1st nationally and 381st globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, despite severe financial constraints.
The university also secured a place among the world’s top 60 universities for citations per faculty, scoring 97.2 out of 100 — a key indicator of research quality and global academic impact.
The achievement is notable given QAU’s ongoing fiscal crisis. Government funding has remained frozen at 2018 levels amid rising inflation, operational costs and student intake. The university has faced mounting deficits and delayed salary disbursements over the past year.
Research Impact Recognised Globally
QS’s “citations per faculty” metric measures how frequently a university’s research is referenced by scholars worldwide. QAU’s score of 97.2 places it alongside the world’s most influential research institutions, reflecting sustained faculty output and international recognition of its work.
“This reflects the institution’s sustained commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation and contributing meaningfully to global scholarship,” the university said in a statement.
Achievement ‘Against All Odds’
University officials said faculty continued to produce world-class research while students pursued academic excellence and staff maintained operations despite financial strain.
“This is the spirit of resilience that defines Quaid-i-Azam University,” the statement added.
Urgent Funding Appeal
The QAU community urged the federal government and Higher Education Commission to prioritise funding for the flagship institution. In a joint statement, it called QAU “a national asset that brings Pakistan international recognition, respect and visibility”.
The statement urged the government to allocate emergency funds, clear pending dues, establish a research and student scholarships endowment fund, and ensure sustainable financing.
The Academic Staff Association has previously warned that without immediate financial intervention, research output that has earned Pakistan global academic standing could be compromised.
Vice Chancellor Congratulates Community
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal congratulated the faculty, students, staff and alumni for the achievement. He credited the faculty’s research excellence, students’ academic ambition, staff’s operational support, and alumni’s continued backing for the university’s success.
The QS World University Rankings 2027 assess institutions on academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio.
