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 ''Öffentlichk ...
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 kn ...
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 c ...
,
Sindh,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. 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
Jamshoro ( sd, ڄام شورو, ur, ) is a city and the capital of Jamshoro District, located in Sindh, Pakistan. It is located on the right bank of the Indus River, approximately northwest of Hyderabad and northeast from the provincial cap ...
), 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 ...
, 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 Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
and
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and Reproducibility, reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in me ...
,
medical
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
, 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 so ...
.
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 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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
History
At the time of
establishment
Establishment may refer to:
* The Establishment, a dominant group or elite that controls a polity or an organization
* The Establishment (club), a 1960s club in London, England
* The Establishment (Pakistan), political terminology for the military ...
of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
as a
sovereign state
A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined te ...
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 comple ...
and research were negligible and diminished in the country.
Responding to the impending requirement of
higher learning
''Higher Learning'' is a 1995 American drama film written and directed by John Singleton and starring an ensemble cast. The film follows the changing lives of three incoming freshmen at the fictional Columbus University: Malik Williams ( Omar Epp ...
,
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 i ...
Liaquat Ali Khan
Liaquat Ali Khan ( ur, ; 1 October 1895 – 16 October 1951), also referred to in Pakistan as ''Quaid-e-Millat'' () or ''Shaheed-e-Millat'' ( ur, lit=Martyr of the Nation, label=none, ), was a Pakistani statesman, lawyer, political theoris ...
.
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 and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...
was Dr.
ABA Haleem.
In 1953 it started its teaching and research activities at two faculties: the Faculty of
Arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
and the Faculty of
Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
.
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
An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level. In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, universit ...
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 so ...
,
Science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
,
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 principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
,
Law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
,
Pharmacy,
Management
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a Government agency, government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includ ...
and
Administrative Sciences and
Medicines
A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...
. 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
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 c ...
. 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
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
, the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
(
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 subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
. 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
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
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 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, the
founder of Pakistan. 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
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 c ...
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 and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...
from 1971 to 1975 and the library was named in recognition of his contribution to the teaching 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 so ...
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 a ...
and
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
. 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, an ...
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 (pro ...
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,
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 chemist and an Emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Karachi. Qure ...
,
Rafiuddin Raz,
Mahmud Hussain
Mahmud Husain Khan (5 July 1907 – 12 April 1975) was a Pakistani historian, educationist, and politician, known for his role in the Pakistan Movement, and for pioneering the study of social sciences. He served as Minister for Kashmir Af ...
,
Saleemuzzaman Siddiqui,
Abdul Qadeer Khan,
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,
Atta-ur-Rahman,
Mahreen Asif Zuberi, Prof.Khursheed Ahmed,
Bina Shaheen Siddiqui 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
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 European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
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 territori ...
.
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, Nunea ...
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
Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs funded and arranged currently by the , a government-organized non-governmental organization (GONGO) under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic o ...
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 operating from Balochistan
.
See also
*
List of universities in Karachi
There are a number of higher education institutions in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. These include universities supported by the federal government of Pakistan and the provincial government of Sindh. There are also several private universities supp ...
*
List of universities in Pakistan
Higher education in Pakistan is the systematic process of students continuing their education beyond secondary school, learned societies and two-year colleges. The governance of higher education is maintained under the Higher Education Commission ...
*
Pakistan Educational Research Network
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