The landscape of higher education in Pakistan has seen substantial growth and transformation over the years. A significant increase in the number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 59 in 2000-01 to 171 by 2015 reflects this change. This growth is also mirrored in the surge of student enrollment, which jumped from approximately 276,000 in 2001-02 to an impressive 1.2 million by 2013-14. Notably, there has been a shift in gender composition among enrolled students; while male enrollment decreased from 63% to 54% during 2001-02 to 2012-13, female enrollment correspondingly rose from 37% to 46%.
Despite these positive trends, Pakistan’s gross tertiary enrolment ratio of 8.2 still lags behind its neighbors, such as Bangladesh at 12, India at 18, and significantly behind Korea at 98. Efforts to enhance postgraduate education have also seen success, evidenced by the doubling of admissions in MS/M.Phil and Ph.D. programs over a five-year span.
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has implemented numerous initiatives to improve higher education standards. These include upgrading curricula, enforcing anti-plagiarism policies, and establishing quality assurance mechanisms. One notable collaboration with Microsoft facilitated the creation of IT Academies and the provision of Microsoft technologies to 110 universities, improving research quality and information accessibility for over a million students. The launch of a project to develop smart universities, the enhanced funding model for HEIs, and the ambitious goals outlined in the Medium Term Development Framework (2016-2020) all signify a robust commitment by HEC to advance quality, equity, research, and innovation in Pakistan’s higher education system.
Much Is Needed For Higher Education Growth
