The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has established a 22-member National Task Force to develop a national ranking framework for universities across the country. The initiative aims to introduce a structured, transparent and evidence-based system for evaluating the performance of higher education institutions.
The task force will review internationally recognised university ranking methodologies and adapt them to Pakistan’s higher education system. Its responsibilities include assessing ranking indicators, assigning weightage to different criteria, reviewing evaluation methods, determining data requirements, and establishing verification procedures and scoring mechanisms.
Dr Ghulam Mustafa, Director of the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad, has been appointed convenor of the task force. Muhammad Ali Baig, National Coordinator for National University Rankings and Deputy Director of HEC’s Higher Education Data Repository, will serve as its secretary.
The task force includes representatives from major public and private universities, including Quaid-i-Azam University, NUST, LUMS, Aga Khan University, the University of Karachi and the University of the Punjab. Representatives from provincial higher education bodies in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also part of the initiative.
The HEC says the framework is intended to provide a fair and credible assessment of universities, helping establish a nationally relevant ranking system based on measurable evidence
