The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kno ...

located in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the

University of Sindh The University of Sindh ( ur, ; sd, سنڌ يونيورسٽي; informally known as Sindh University) is a public research university in Pakistan located in the city of Jamshoro. It is one of the oldest universities in Pakistan and was certifi ...

(which is now located in Jamshoro), the university is a "Sindh Government University" and designed by Mohsin Baig as its chief architect. With a total student body of 41,000 full-time students and a campus size spanning over 1200

acres The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ya ...

, Karachi University is one of the largest universities in Pakistan with a distinguished reputation for multi-disciplinary research in

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

, medical, and

social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...

. The university has over 53 Departments and 19 research institutes operating under nine faculties. There are over 893 academics and more than 2500 supporting staff working for the university. In 2008, the university was named for the first time by ''

THE-QS World University Rankings ''QS World University Rankings'' is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The QS system comprises three parts: the global overall ranking, the subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the ...

'' among the top 600 universities in the world. In 2009, the university was named as one of the top 500 universities in the world, while in 2016 it was ranked among the top 250 in Asia and 701st in the world. In 2019, it was ranked 801st in the world and 251st in Asia. The University of Karachi is a member of the

Association of Commonwealth Universities The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

History

At the time of establishment of

as a

sovereign state A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a polity, political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defin ...

in 1947, the means for

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

and research were negligible and diminished in the country. Responding to the impending requirement of higher learning,

Pakistan Government The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territories ...

started establishing educational institutions of higher learning and research and thus underwent rapid modernization under a policy guided by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Liaquat Ali Khan. Its first

Vice-chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

was Dr.

ABA Haleem Abu Bakr Ahmad Haleem (Urdu: ابو بكر احمد حليم; commonly known as A. B. A. Haleem) (1897 – 20 April 1975) was a Pakistani Muhajir political scientist and the first vice-chancellor of Karachi University. Early life and care ...

. In 1953 it started its teaching and research activities at two faculties: the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

. For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained as an examination university for the affiliated colleges. Over the years, the enrollment expanded rapidly. Karachi University first intake was 50 students, the university now has 53 academic departments and 20 Research Centers and Institutes, under faculties of

Social Sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soci ...

Islamic Studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, Law,

Pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

Management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

and Administrative Sciences and Medicines. The enrollment of regular students at the campus is around 28,000. There are about 1,000 faculty members and more than 3,000 supporting staff.

Past appointed Vice-Chancellors

Campus

The university campus area is over of land, situated 12 km away from the city center of

. The university has about four percent International students who come from 23 different countries in the regions of

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

, the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

(

West Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...

) and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. The university has a high standard of teaching, with many professors being well-known scholars and academics of international repute. In a short span of 40 years, the university has risen to acquire a high status in the field of education in

as well as in the region.

Academic emphasis

The most prestigious research center of the university is the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences which has over 500 students enrolled for PhD in organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular medicine, genomics, nanotechnology and other fields. The Husein Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry, Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Development and the Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research are an integral part of this multi-disciplinary research center. It was selected as the UNESCO Center of Excellence in 2016. The university's physics and

statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...

departments are claimed to be well known departments and its research output plays a vital role in the development of science and technology in the country. Furthermore, the department of mathematical sciences is one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Science, which has a three-floor building consisting of an electronic laboratory for computational mathematics. The department of architecture has produced award-winning designers, architects and artists, who are making their mark in the professional world.

Library system

The University of Karachi's library, known as "Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library", has houses well over 400,000 volumes dating back to the 1600s, for researchers as well as for use by students of advance studies and faculty members. The library became the depository of the personal book collection of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

, the

founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

. Established and constructed in 1952, the Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library is an imposing five story and basement structure firmly placed in the center of campus activities. Teachers from over 100 affiliated colleges frequent the university, along with scholars from 19 research institutions. A loan and resource sharing system exists with other academic entities in the

area. A digital library enables the scholars and students to access online books and journals. 25 librarians, 10 assistant librarians and around 90 nonprofessional staff help maintain the library. The building includes six reading rooms for general purposes and six for research. The International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences has within it the Latif Ebrahim Jamal Science Information Centre which is the national focal point for distance education Previously called the Karachi University Library, it was renamed the Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library by unanimous resolution of the Karachi University Syndicate on 12 April 1976— the first death anniversary of Prof. Dr. Mahmud Hussain Khan. Mahmud Hussain served the university's

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

from 1971 to 1975 and the library was named in recognition of his contribution to the teaching of

in Pakistan. Dr. Hussain was the first professor the university appointed to its faculty of

International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

and

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

. He introduced

library science Library science (often termed library studies, bibliothecography, and library economy) is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and ...

to Pakistan by instituting the Faculty of

Journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

and Library Science at the university. He also actively worked to improve the status and pay scales of the library staff to make them at par with the university's other faculty members. The photos show that UoK remains seriously underfunded.

Karachi University Press

The university publishes books, texts, periodicals and other academic materials in-house through the Bureau of Composition, Compilation and Translation (BCC&T).

Faculties and departments

The University of Karachi has 9 faculties:

Research institutes and centres

Alumnus and people

Since its establishment in 1951, the university has attracted prominent scholars and renowned educationist as its faculty members, researchers and associated scholars. Scholars and educationists such as

Ravindra Kaushik Ravindra Kaushik (11 April 1952 – November 2001) was a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) operative, also named as Black Tiger, who is believed to be one of India's best spies. Kaushik served the R&AW from 1979 to 1983 in Pakistan. He was a ...

Iqbal Hussain Qureshi Iqbal Hussain Qureshi (Urdu:اقبال حسين قریشی) 27 September 1937 – 8 December 2012) , best known as I.H. Qureshi, was a Pakistani Nuclear chemistry, nuclear chemist and an :wikt:Emeritus, Emeritus professor of chemistry ...

Rafiuddin Raz Mirza Rafiuddin 'Raz' Baig ( ur, مرزا رفیوددیں بیگ; born 21 April 1938) is a Pakistani poet. He published his first volume of poetry ''Deeda-e-Khush Khwab'' in 1988 and followed it with ''Beenai'' (Sight), ''Pairahan-e-Fikr'' (The ...

, Mahmud Hussain,

Saleemuzzaman Siddiqui Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, ( ur, ; 19 October 1897 – 14 April 1994) was a Pakistani Muhajir organic chemist specialising in natural products, and a professor of chemistry at the University of Karachi. Siddiqui studied philosophy at Aligarh Mus ...

Abdul Qadeer Khan Abdul Qadeer Khan, (; ur, ; 1 April 1936 – 10 October 2021), known as A. Q. Khan, was a Pakistani nuclear physicist and metallurgical engineer. He was a key figure in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program and is colloquially known as the ...

I H Qureshi Ishtiaq Hussain Qureshi ( ur, ) (20 November 1903 – 22 January 1981) popularly known as I.H. Qureshi, ''SP'', ''HI'', was a Pakistani conservative nationalist historian and playwright. He was the Vice Chancellor of the University of K ...

Raziuddin Siddiqui __NOTOC__ Muhammad Raziuddin Siddiqui (January 8, 1908 – January 8, 1998) was a Pakistan-born American physicist. Biography Life and education Siddiqui was born on 8 January 1908 in the Princely State of Hyderabad Deccan to Mohammed Muz ...

Atta-ur-Rahman Ata-ur-Rahman ( ar, عطا الرحمن ) is a masculine Islamic given name. It is built from the Arabic words ''Ata (name), Ata'', ''al-'' and ''Rahman (name), Rahman''. The name means "gift of the most merciful", ''ar-Rahman'' being one of the ...

, Mahreen Asif Zuberi, Prof.Khursheed Ahmed,

Bina Shaheen Siddiqui Bina Shaheen Siddiqui is a Pakistani chemist and the Director of the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry at the University of Karachi. Siddiqui graduated from the University of Karachi with an MPhil in 1978. In 1980, she graduated from the same ...

are some of those, that have been affiliated with the institution. The faculty was drawn not only from Pakistan but also included eminent educationists from the

and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. A visit has been made by English Higher Education Leader

Chris Husbands Professor Sir Chris Husbands is a British academic, educationist, university leader and public servant, who has been Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University since January 2016. Education He was educated at King Edward VI College, Nuneat ...

to begin collaborative awarding.

Gallery

Sheikh Zayed Islamic Center.jpg, Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre Offices Faculty-of-Arts KU.jpg, Offices of the Faculty of Arts, KU Way to Arts Lobby KU.jpg, Way to Arts Lobby Applied Economics Research Centre, University of Karachi.JPG, Applied Economics Research Centre, KU Commerce Building DOC.jpg, Commerce Building Department of Applied Chemistry University of Karachi.JPG, Department of Applied Chemistry Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Karachi.JPG, Department of Food Science & Technology, KU Arts Faculty.JPG, Arts Faculty Silver Jubilee Gate Karachi University.jpg, Silver Jubilee Gate of Karachi University Karachi University Botanic Garden Entrance.jpg, Karachi University Botanic Garden Entrance

Incidents

On, April 26, 2022, four people including three Chinese nationals, were killed and four others were injured in a suicide attack outside the Confucius Institute located within the University of Karachi. A female suicide bomber was spotted in the attack footage, who was sent by a militant separatist group BLA

Baloch Liberation Army The Balochistan Liberation Army ( bal, بلۏچستان آجوییء لشکر; Abbreviation, abbreviated BLA), also known as the Baloch Liberation Army, is a Baloch people, Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in Afghanistan. The ...

operating from Balochistan. Commerce Department UOK

References

External links

UoK official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karachi, University Of Educational institutions established in 1951 Public universities and colleges in Sindh 1951 establishments in Pakistan Engineering universities and colleges in Pakistan