HEC Forms 22-Member Task Force to Develop National University Rankings

What Happened

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has constituted a 22-member National Task Force (NTF) to develop a framework for national university rankings [1, 2]. According to an official press release, the task force is tasked with reviewing and finalizing a proposed national university ranking framework [1]. This framework is intended to use internationally recognized methodologies while considering the specific landscape of Pakistan’s higher education system [1, 2].

The task force will examine several technical components to ensure the system is fair, transparent, and evidence-based [1, 2]. These components include:

• Ranking indicators and their relative weightages [1, 2]
• Assessment methodologies [1, 2]
• Data requirements [1, 2]
• Verification procedures [1, 2]
• Scoring mechanisms [1, 2]

Dr. Ghulam Mustafa, the Director of the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), has been appointed as the convenor of the task force [1, 2]. Muhammad Ali Baig, who serves as the National Coordinator for National University Rankings and Deputy Director of HEC’s Higher Education Data Repository, will act as the secretary [1, 2].

Who Is Affected

The task force includes representatives from various public and private universities to ensure institutional and disciplinary representation [2]. Participating institutions include:

• Aga Khan University [1, 2]
• Fatima Jinnah Women University [2]
• Khyber Medical University [2]
• King Edward Medical University [2]
• Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) [1, 2]
• Mehran University of Engineering and Technology [2]
• National College of Arts [2]
• National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) [1, 2]
• Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) [2]
• Quaid-i-Azam University [1, 2]
• University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir [2]
• University of Agriculture Faisalabad [2]
• University of Balochistan [2]
• University of Engineering and Technology Lahore [2]
• University of Karachi [1, 2]
• University of Peshawar [2]
• University of the Punjab [1, 2]

Additionally, the group includes representatives from provincial higher education regulatory bodies to provide geographical representation, specifically from the Higher Education Department of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Punjab Higher Education Commission, and the Sindh Higher Education Commission [2].