Islamabad's Quaid-i-Azam University significantly improves in world rankings

• Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, marks significant improvement in Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) international rankings.
• Fields of natural sciences, social sciences, and biological sciences at Islamabad's Quaid-i-Azam University improve significantly.
• QAU Islamabad made headlines last month for reportedly selling off its students' certificates and other important documents as garbage.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, has marked a significant improvement in the international rankings released Friday by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in its World University Rankings portfolio.

Islamabad's Quaid-i-Azam University ranked third among the Pakistani institutes listed on the QS World University Rankings, with a score of 25.5 and ranking of 454. The fields of natural sciences, social sciences, and biological sciences have improved significantly as well.

Read more: Quaid-e-Azam University throws students' admission forms, certificates in trash

According to the QS World University Rankings, the Department of Natural Sciences ranked at 259, with a score of 68.4, while the departments of Mathematics & Physics, Environmental Sciences, Economics, and Business & Management Sciences ranking in the 201-250, 301-350, 401-500, and 451-500 ranges, respectively.

The varsity, ranked "Large" in size, has 452 faculty members in total, with the student-to-faculty ratio of 33, as per the QS World University Rankings. It does not provide scholarships but has 115 international students.

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The vice chancellor of Islamabad's Quaid-i-Azam University, Professor Dr Muhammad Ali congratulated the faculty, students, staff, and alumni on the varsity's success. "Despite the financial deficit, the university has improved its position at the ranking agency," he said.

The National University of Sciences And Technology (NUST) Islamabad, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), COMSATS University Islamabad, University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore, University of the Punjab, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, University of Karachi, and The University of Lahore were ranked first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth, respectively, among the Pakistani universities.

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The QS World University Rankings were launched more than a decade ago, in 2004, becoming one of the world’s most popular source of university performance data.

Last month, the Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, made headlines for reportedly selling off its students' admission forms, certificates, and other important documents as garbage, with records of numerous fields of study lost at the trash site.

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The Islamabad university's administration had reacted to the news reports, saying they would investigate as to whose negligence led to the important documents being sold off as trash.