Higher education in Pakistan has long reflected the broader inconsistencies that characterize national development. Since independence, the country’s educational framework has been subjected to wavering policies, uneven implementation, and a frequent mismatch between ambition and institutional capacity. When the Higher Education Commission (HEC) was created in 2002, replacing the University Grants Commission, it was widely perceived as a moment of course correction. According to a report by the British Council (2013), the creation of HEC was “the most important reform in Pakistan’s higher education sector in the last 50 years.” While the intent was serious, and many of the initiatives that followed were thoughtful, the outcomes remain a study in contrasts.
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The creation of the HEC marked a shift in the government's approach to academic governance. Designed to function as an independent regulator, the Commission was empowered to oversee a wide array of responsibilities, including curriculum reforms, quality assurance, faculty development, and research promotion. Moreover, it took on the role of bridging domestic universities with international academic networks, thereby attempting to position Pakistan's higher education sector within a more competitive global setting. UNESCO noted in 2009 that the HEC had initiated reforms that led to a threefold increase in research output between 2002 and 2008. In principle, the mission was comprehensive. In practice, the road has been fraught with persistent structural limitations.
One of the flagship contributions of the HEC was its involvement in shaping Vision 2025, a national framework aimed at long-term development. Within this framework, human resource development was identified as a central priority. Among the stated goals were universal primary education, expanded access to tertiary education, and a significant increase in the number of doctoral graduates. Vision 2025 explicitly set the target to increase PhD scholars from 7,000 in 2013 to 15,000 by 2025. While such goals were laudable and in many ways necessary, the policy commitments often outpaced the political will and administrative resolve required to realize them.
Furthermore, the introduction of the Higher Education Development in Pakistan Project (HEDP), backed by the World Bank with substantial financial support, was another step in the right direction. This project sought to reinforce the country’s research culture, enhance teaching quality, and modernize governance across the higher education sector. The World Bank approved $400 million for HEDP in 2019, recognizing the urgent need for reforms in Pakistan’s tertiary education. In theory, such an integrated approach was timely. However, the challenge remained in translating this vision into consistent and measurable improvements across the board.
To complement its development agenda, the HEC introduced the Research Grant Framework, a cluster of funding instruments aimed at promoting both academic and applied research. Grants such as the Grand Challenge Fund, the Local Challenge Fund, and the Technology Transfer Support Fund were established to incentivize innovation, particularly in areas of pressing national importance. By 2022, the HEC reported funding over 600 research projects under these initiatives, with applications ranging from agriculture to artificial intelligence. Moreover, by encouraging collaboration among universities, industries, and policymakers, these grants attempted to reshape the traditional academic culture into one that engages with society at large.
In addition, the Commission’s efforts to digitize the sector through the Higher Education Management Information System reflected an understanding of modern governance needs. By replacing inefficient manual processes with centralized digital systems, the HEC hoped to enable faster, more informed decision-making. According to HEC’s annual report (2021), more than 170 universities are now connected through the Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN). The emphasis on data, if sustained, could introduce a culture of accountability and responsiveness in institutions where bureaucratic delay has too often stood in the way of progress.
One of the more critical elements of the reform agenda was the creation of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in 2005. Established under the HEC, the QAA was tasked with enforcing academic standards and ensuring program quality across institutions. It aimed to align Pakistan’s universities with international benchmarks and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The QAA facilitated the establishment of Quality Enhancement Cells (QECs) in 183 universities by 2020, according to HEC data. Yet, as with many other promising initiatives, its success has varied widely depending on local administrative support and the strength of internal governance within universities.
Despite these multifaceted efforts, Pakistan's higher education sector continues to struggle with deep-rooted problems. The most obvious among these is the shortage of well-qualified faculty and the general lack of professional training. A 2020 HEC report indicated that only 29 percent of university faculty hold PhDs. Teaching, particularly at the college and university levels, often attracts individuals who enter the profession by default rather than by design. This trend not only weakens the quality of instruction but also diminishes the value placed on academic work as a profession.
Another issue that continues to undermine the credibility of higher education is political interference. From faculty appointments to student admissions, political considerations often supersede merit. In 2017, Transparency International Pakistan identified political influence as a major factor affecting the fairness of faculty hiring processes. This has transformed many campuses into breeding grounds for factionalism, where intellectual independence gives way to organizational allegiance.
Moreover, public funding for education remains far below what is required. Despite repeated commitments, Pakistan has consistently fallen short of its goal to allocate four percent of GDP to the sector. The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2023 shows that education received only 1.7 percent of GDP, one of the lowest in South Asia. Inadequate funding affects every aspect of academic life, from infrastructure and libraries to research labs and faculty salaries.
In addition to financial and political barriers, the lack of student support services has further hindered the development of a robust academic environment. Most universities in Pakistan still lack formal mechanisms for academic advising, career counseling, or psychological support. A study by the British Council in 2018 found that 80 percent of public universities lack trained mental health professionals or student support centers. This absence leaves students ill-equipped to navigate the pressures of academic life or plan their futures with clarity.
To move forward, Pakistan must adopt a more integrated and sustained approach to educational reform. First and foremost, faculty development must become a national priority. Countries like Malaysia and Turkey have invested heavily in faculty training, resulting in significant gains in global university rankings. Teaching and research positions should be treated with the seriousness and respect they deserve, with proper training programs, performance evaluations, and competitive salaries.
Additionally, the HEC should institute transparent oversight mechanisms, including external advisory boards that can review and evaluate its major policy decisions. Such oversight would help ensure that policy remains evidence-based and insulated from political influence. The UK’s Higher Education Funding Council serves as a model, offering independent review and strategic guidance to universities. Furthermore, the role of accreditation bodies must be strengthened, with clear authority to assess institutions according to global criteria and enforce compliance.
Equally important is the need to set national research priorities. Rather than scattershot funding, research should be planned strategically, with input from government, industry, and academia. The US National Science Foundation offers a strategic roadmap model that could be adapted for Pakistan. These plans should guide the distribution of grants and the evaluation of impact.
In parallel, educational costs must be carefully calibrated to ensure accessibility, particularly for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Financial aid mechanisms, scholarships, and work-study programs must be expanded to prevent cost from becoming a barrier to education. According to HEC, only about 5 percent of university students benefit from need-based scholarships.
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Finally, HEC funding to universities should be tied to clear performance indicators. These indicators could include faculty research output, student satisfaction, employment outcomes, and community engagement. The World Bank recommends performance-based funding models as a way to promote accountability and quality in developing countries. Linking funding to performance would encourage institutions to focus not only on enrollment numbers but also on quality and outcomes.
In sum, the Higher Education Commission has played a notable role in reshaping the contours of higher education in Pakistan. Its various initiatives—from Vision 2025 and the HEDP to the Research Grant Framework and quality assurance mechanisms—have attempted to push the system toward greater coherence and international relevance. However, the persistence of systemic weaknesses, including underqualified faculty, political interference, inadequate funding, and institutional inertia, continues to hold the sector back. The Global Innovation Index 2023 ranks Pakistan 88th out of 132 countries, highlighting its struggle to translate academic effort into innovation. As Pakistan navigates a world increasingly defined by knowledge economies and rapid technological change, its universities must become engines of critical thinking, research, and innovation. That transformation will not happen overnight, nor can it be achieved through occasional policy announcements. It requires consistent political will, institutional discipline, and public investment. Nations that thrive in the modern world are those that invest in the minds of their youth. Pakistan, for all its challenges, must not lose sight of this simple truth.
