Over A Million Pakistani University Students Enrolled in STEM Fields

[Riaz Haq]

Over a million students, about a third of total 3 million students (1.4 million women, 1.6 million men) enrolled in Pakistani universities and degree colleges, are currently studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM Education), according to data released by the country's Higher Education Commission (HEC). Of these students, 415,008 are studying natural sciences and mathematics, 276,659 are in information and communication technologies (ICT), 178,260 are in health sciences and 166,457 are in engineering. Pakistan produced 157,102 STEM graduates last year, putting it among the world's top dozen or so countries. About 43,000 of these graduates are in information technology (IT).  

Student Enrollment By Field of Study at Pakistani Higher Education ...

Nearly half a million Pakistani women are currently enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses at universities, accounting for nearly 46% of all STEM students in higher education institutions in the country. 

Clockwise From Top Left: Nergis Mavalvala, Maria Abrar, Maheen Adamson, Tasneem Zehra Husain, Sundas Khalid, Asifa Akhtar

Acceptance rate in Pakistani universities and degree colleges was just 13.5% last year. Only 541,043 students were accepted from 4,085,185 students who applied. The country produced 471,306 university graduates in 2020-21. Of these, 157,102 were in STEM fields, including 43,000 graduates in information technology (IT). 

Pakistan Higher Education Admission and Graduation Statistics. Sour...

In absolute terms, Pakistan probably ranks among the top dozen or so nations producing university graduates in STEM and IT fields. However, the country lags significantly behind its lower middle income peers in terms of percentage of students enrolled in universities. Only 12% of young people in the 18-25 age group are currently enrolled in higher education institutions. This is about half of the 25% average for South Asia. The data from the World Bank shows that the higher education enrollment rate was extremely low in Pakistan until 2000 when late President Musharraf decided to significantly boost investment in building universities and hire faculty to rapidly increase access to higher education in the country. 

Tertiary Education Enrollment Rates. Source: World Bank

As Pakistan struggles with multiple serious crises,  these young men and women now studying in the nation's universities and colleges offer hope for its bright future. In fact, the vast majority of Pakistanis feel that they have better lives than their parents did, and they think their children will have even better lives than theirs, according to a Gallup International Poll of 64 countries conducted from August to October last year. The poll asked two questions: 1) Do you feel your life is better, worse or roughly similar to that  of your parents? and 2) Do you think your children will have a better, worse or roughly the same life as you? The answers to these questions reveal that Pakistanis are among the top 5 most positive nations among 64 countries polled by Gallup International. Anecdotal evidence in terms of packed shopping malls and restaurants in Pakistan's major cities confirms it. Such positivity augurs well for Pakistan's prospects of successfully dealing with the current crises. It will drive the nation's recovery. 

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[Riaz Haq]

Germany is Launching Opportunity Card for Foreigners Looking for Jobs

https://propakistani.pk/2024/04/22/germany-is-launching-opportunity...

Germany is set to introduce the Opportunity Card in June 2024, a new program aimed at facilitating employment for qualified non-EU citizens in the country. This initiative is designed to streamline the process for skilled job seekers, enhancing their ability to explore job opportunities and engage in flexible work arrangements.

The Opportunity Card represents a significant shift in Germany’s approach to immigration for skilled workers. It simplifies the existing qualification requirements, allowing individuals to enter the job market more efficiently. The card enables holders to look for jobs, participate in work trials, and if necessary, extend their stay in Germany.

The new system reduces the complexities often encountered in the bureaucratic process. Here are the key aspects of the qualification process for the Opportunity Card:

Qualification Recognition:
The card is accessible to individuals whose skills and qualifications are recognized in Germany, eliminating the need for additional special requirements.

Educational Criteria:
Eligible applicants include those with a foreign university degree, a vocational qualification of at least two years recognized by their home country, or a vocational qualification issued by a German Chamber of Commerce Abroad.

Language Proficiency:
Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency, requiring at least an A1 CEFR level in German or a B2 CEFR level in English.

Point-Based Evaluation System
The Opportunity Card uses a point-based system to assess eligibility. Points are allocated based on various factors such as the recognition of qualifications, language skills, professional experience, age, connections to Germany, and the potential involvement of partners or spouses. Applicants need to achieve a minimum of six points to be eligible.

Advantages of Holding the Opportunity Card
The Opportunity Card offers numerous benefits that facilitate a smoother transition into the German job market:

Ease of Job Search: The card allows holders to bypass lengthy recognition processes, enabling them to immediately start looking for employment.
Flexible Work Arrangements: Holders are permitted to undertake work trials and can engage in secondary employment for up to 20 hours per week.
Extension Possibility: In cases where holders are offered eligible employment but cannot secure another resident title, the card can be extended for up to an additional two years.
Germany’s Intentions
The Opportunity Card is a strategic initiative by the German government to attract skilled workers and simplify their entry into one of Europe’s leading economies. It provides a streamlined pathway for engaging with the job market without the necessity of a pre-arranged job contract, thereby offering job seekers valuable time to find suitable employment.

[Riaz Haq]

Steps have been announced towards incorporating technology in the curriculum to align the new generation with the demands of the present era by the Ministry of Education and Professional Training.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2464660/ministry-unveils-tech-driven-c...

The ministry’s Federal Secretary, Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani on Tuesday addressed the “STEM Mela 2024” organised under the project “STEM Pakistan Policy Unit” to provide access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to secondary school girls. Thousands of female students from the federal capital participated in the event.

“We are bringing technology into our curriculum so that our new generation can also understand technology in time and be in line with the modern requirements of the present,” he said while also emphasising that the government was making every effort to bring out-of-school children into schools. “We want every child to get a good education and contribute to the development of the country,” he said.

More than 1,200 children and 250 teachers participated in the fair. They participated in quiz game shows, treasure hunts, art activities, science shows and other activities. Science shows, mathematics, astronomy and biology learning zones had been set up for the students at the fair. Guidance sessions and professional development workshops were also conducted by the guests.

One of the objectives of this fair was also to appreciate the schools, school heads, teachers and students who had actively participated in the STEM Pakistan programme in the previous academic year.

The STEM Pakistan programme has now expanded to over 4,000 public schools across the country, with over 3.5m students enrolled. The programme aims to engage students in hands-on activities in classrooms and provide them with a better learning environment. The programme is also being implemented in over 200 middle and high schools of the Federal Directorate of Education.

New Tell Pakistan CEO Wahaj Siraj advised the students to make their hobby their profession, maintain their character, be problem solvers, and ask questions to clarify matters.

On the same day, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif declared an educational emergency to promote education in the country and learned how their education should be.

The Mela was a fun and educational experience for the students, encouraging them to take an interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics subjects. The government needs to continue its efforts to promote STEM education. It needs to invest in teacher training, infrastructure, and providing opportunities for students.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan ranks 91st among the 133 economies featured in the GII 2024. The Global Innovation Index (GII) ranks world economies according to their innovation capabilities. Consisting of roughly 80 indicators, grouped into innovation inputs and outputs, the GII aims to capture the multi-dimensional facets of innovation.

https://www.wipo.int/gii-ranking/en/pakistan

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https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2024/article_0013.html


In more recent years, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Brazil, Indonesia, Mauritius and Pakistan have climbed most in the GII (in order of their ranking). Indonesia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan maintain their overperformer status for a third year and Brazil for a fourth consecutive year.


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Switzerland, Sweden, the United States, Singapore and the United Kingdom are the world’s most-innovative economies, while China, Türkiye, India, Viet Nam and the Philippines1 are the fastest 10-year climbers, according to WIPO’s Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, which shows a softening in venture capital activity, R&D funding and other investment indicators.

Now in its 17th edition, the GII is the world's benchmark resource charting global innovation trends to guide policy makers, business leaders and others in unleashing human ingenuity to improve lives and address shared challenges, like climate change. This year, the GII also looks at “social entrepreneurship,” which uses private-sector practices for positive social change.

The 2024 edition identifies a major softening in leading indicators of future innovative activity, including a reversal of the 2020-2022 boom in innovation investments. Amid higher interest rates, venture capital (VC) funding dropped by about 40 percent in 2023 and growth slipped in research and development (R&D) expenditures, while international patent filings and scientific publications fell.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan’s educational enrolment in statistics

https://www.pakistangulfeconomist.com/2022/08/29/pakistans-educatio...

The total number of enrolments during FY2020 was registered at 55.7 million as against to 53.1 million during FY2019, which shows a rise of 4.9 percent. It is estimated to rise to 58.5 million during FY2021. The Number of institutions registered at 277.5 thousand during FY2020 as against to 271.8 thousand during FY2019. However, the numbers of institutions are estimated to rise to 283.7 thousand in FY2021 in Pakistan. Similarly, there were 1.83 million teachers in FY2020 as against to 1.79 million last year. The Number of teachers is estimated to increase to 1.89 million during FY2021.

Pre-Primary Education
Statistics also showed that pre -primary education is the basic component of Early Childhood Education (ECE). Prep classes are for children between 3 to 5 years of age. At national level, a rise of 6.1 percent in pre-primary enrolment (13.5 million) in FY2020 over FY2019 (12.7 million) has been observed and it is further estimated to increase by 6.4 percent to 14.4 million in FY2021.

Primary Education (Classes I-V)
In FY2020, there were a total of 183.9 thousand functional primary schools with 507.6 thousand corresponding teachers recorded in Pakistan. A rise of 4.2 percent in primary enrolment is witnessed as the total enrolled students increased to 24.6 million in FY2020 against 23.6 million in FY2019. However, it is projected to further increase to 25.7 million in FY2021.

Middle Education (Classes VI-VIII)
During FY2020, total number of middle institutes reached at 48.3 thousand with 466.4 thousand employed teachers in Pakistan. A rise of 3.9 percent in middle enrolment is observed. The Total enrolled students reached to 7.9 million in FY2020 against 7.6 million in FY2019 and it is projected to rise by 4.0 percent (from 7.9 million to 8.3 million) in FY2021.

Secondary/High School Education (Classes IX-X)
During the FY2020, a total of 32.0 thousand secondary schools were functional, with a total number of 582.3 thousand teachers recorded in Pakistan. An increase of 6.2 percent in secondary school enrolment is observed at the national level as the total enrolment increased to 4.2 million in FY2020 as compared to 4.0 million in FY 2019. However, it is estimated to further increase by 6.5 percent (i.e., from 4.2 million to 4.5 million) during FY2021.

Higher Secondary/Inter Colleges (Classes XI-XII)
During FY2020, 6.0 thousand higher secondary schools/inter colleges with 136.7 thousand teachers were functional at national level. The Overall enrolment of students in higher secondary education witnessed an increase of 8.8 percent in FY2020. The Enrolment registered during FY2020 was 2.33 million as against to 2.14 million in FY2019. For FY2021, it is projected to reach at 2.55 million.

Technical & Vocational Education
During FY2020, 3.8 thousand technical and vocational institutes with 18.6 thousand teachers were functional at the national level. The Enrolment increased to 0.46 million in FY2020 from 0.43 million compared to FY2019. However, it is estimated to increase by 7.7 percent (i.e., from 0.46 million to 0.50 million) in FY2021.

Degree Colleges (Classes XIII-XIV)
An enrolment of 0.76 million students is expected during FY2021 in degree colleges as against the enrolment of 0.74 million in FY2020. A Total of 3,320 degree colleges with 64,293 teachers were functional during FY2020.

Universities
There are 218 universities with 58.0 thousand teachers in both public and private sectors functional in FY2020. The Overall enrolment of students in higher education institutions (universities) grew to 1.91 million in FY2020 from 1.86 million in FY2019. The Enrolment is expected to increase from 1.91 million in FY 2020 to 1.96 million (i.e., 2.8 percent) in FY2021.

[Riaz Haq]

New Forms Of Higher Education For Building Pakistan’s Future

ByBryan Penprase, Contributor. Bryan Penprase covers global innovations in

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanpenprase/2025/02/18/new-forms-of-...

Pakistan’s future economy will be built through higher education. Pakistan’s economy has been traditionally rooted in agriculture and textiles but is expanding its presence in construction, renewable energy, and IT and its higher education system can provide more opportunities for a young and growing population. The nation’s future economy will be based on technology growth and in manufacturing, mining, and renewable energy. Already, Pakistan has produced many startup companies, such as NayaPay, a fintech payment processing platform founded in 2016, and DealCart, an online grocery store founded in 2022. Both were listed in the Forbes Asia 100 To Watch list in 2024, and new investments from China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the US promise to further develop Pakistan’s tech sector.

Pakistan’s meteoric population growth provides unique challenges. In just the past twenty years, its population has grown from 141 million to over 250 million, making Pakistan the fifth most populous country in the world. The median age is estimated at 19 years in 2023, and two thirds of its population is under 30, giving the country the third largest college-age population in the world, surpassed only by China and India. Keeping the most talented, young population within the country is vital for developing its future, yet in 2022 alone, over 760,000 Pakistanis emigrated, including 92,000 highly educated doctors, engineers and other tech professionals.

Pakistan’s Future Depends on Higher Education
To develop and retain its most talented young people, Pakistan urgently needs to expand and upgrade its higher education system. Higher education in Pakistan began with the University of the Punjab, founded in Lahore in 1882 under British Colonial rule. Another early institution, Lahore Mission College, was founded in 1864 and renamed Forman Christian College (FCC) in 1894. Additional public universities were developed after 1947, notably the prestigious Quaid-i-Azam University, founded in 1967 to offer postgraduate programs, and the Allam Igbal Open University, Pakistan’s largest university with over 1 million students, founded in 1974.

By the early 1980’s Pakistan allowed new private universities, enabling the founding of Aga Khan University (AKU) in 1983, with a focus on health sciences, and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in 1985. Prominent public universities were also formed recently, such as the top-ranked National University of Science and Technology (NUST), formed in 1991. By 2024, Pakistan had over 240 colleges and universities, enrolling over 3 million students, representing only 11 percent of Pakistan’s college-aged population. While Pakistan’s system lacks capacity to fully serve its large population, many innovative universities including AKU, LUMS, FCC, as well as Habib University are retaining some of Pakistan’s best students to shape Pakistan’s future.

Aga Khan University (AKU) and Medical Education
AKU began as Pakistan’s first private university and hosts the country’s the top-ranked Medical College. With branch campuses opened in 2000 in East Africa, Afghanistan and the UK, AKU has since expanded across Africa to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Despite being small and selective, with under 2000 students, AKU provides affordable health care to over 2 million patients in six countries. The institution is committed to empowering women, who comprise nearly half of its faculty and 60% of its students. AKU also has major programs in teacher education and educational leadership, with Institutes for Educational Development based in Pakistan and East Africa.

Other major universities: LUMS, FCC, Habib,

[Riaz Haq]

Profit
@Profitpk
About 8.6% of Pakistanis over the age of 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher. It is a growing number, with college graduates increasing by three times the population growth rate. What does this mean for Pakistan, especially in the age of AI? {THREAD}

https://x.com/Profitpk/status/1895013898937397564

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The state of higher education in Pakistan
How educated is the Pakistani workforce, and what is it prepared for, especially in the age of AI?

February 24, 2025
Farooq Tirmizi
By Farooq Tirmizi

https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2025/02/24/the-state-of-higher-...

The college-educated Pakistani is not yet the majority, but is rapidly becoming part of the norm.

More than half a million Pakistanis graduate from a college or university every year with at least a two-year college degree. A little more than 11% of 30-year-olds in Pakistan have at least a two-year college degree and, judging by the fact that the number of graduates is growing at three times the population growth rate, that number will likely keep on rising for every subsequent generation of 30-year-olds in the country.

So what do those statistics mean? It is by now cliché to assume that the quality of higher education in Pakistan is not good (partly true) and that while the country has a lot of raw talent, the country is not prepared for the rapid advancement of technology that will necessitate a much better trained workforce than the one we have now.


There is no denying the fact that education – both in terms of quality and quantity – is lacking in Pakistan. It is the contention of this publication, expressed through previous analytical writings, however, that the situation can be described as not ideal, but far from hopeless.

While in previous articles we have covered basic literacy and numeracy, in this piece will cover higher education, placing it in both historical context relative to where it has been in Pakistan’s own past, as well as the global context: where Pakistan stands relative to peer economies and geographic neighbours.

We will then examine a question often left unasked: exactly how well-educated does the median Pakistani need to be, given where the country is in its economic evolution? And how has the answer to that question changed with the advent of the recent, more visible, rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI)?

[Riaz Haq]

Islamabad to Get Danish University of Emerging Technologies

https://propakistani.pk/2025/03/15/islamabad-to-get-danish-universi...

The federal government has approved establishment of the Danish University of Emerging Technologies at Sector H-16, Islamabad.

Reports said that the Federal Cabinet, through circulation of summary, approved establishment of Danish University of Emerging Technologies at Sector H-16, Islamabad.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had proposed over 100 102.5 Acres (820.75 Kanal) of land located at Sector H-16, Islamabad for establishment of Danish University of Emerging Technologies, Islamabad.

It is pertinent to note that the current government has taken a significant step for promoting quality education in Pakistan for under privileged children, the Daanish School Project which aims to provide quality education to underprivileged and deserving students across Pakistan, particularly in remote and less-developed areas.

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PM announces new university with funds recovered from UK

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250313124317435

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week announced that a new university would be set up in the capital Islamabad using £190 million (US$246 million) recovered by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) from a Pakistani real estate tycoon.

After Pakistan’s Supreme Court recently released the money from a fine settlement account to the federal government account, Sharif announced it would be used to establish an institution called Daanish University that would focus on applied sciences and boast advanced research facilities. Sharif is to be its patron.

Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sentenced in January for corrupt practices related to a case involving Al-Qadir University. Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, was found guilty of using the Al-Qadir University trust to obtain land from Pakistani real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, whose illegal money was seized by the UK authorities and returned to Pakistan in 2019.

According to Judge Nasir Javed Rana, Khan, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, was guilty of using the office of prime minister to divert the funds from the UK into a fine settlement account of a housing society owned by Riaz, who has since absconded.

Announcing the use of the funds to establish the Daanish University of Applied and Emerging Sciences at a steering committee meeting for the new university chaired by Sharif in Islamabad, the prime minister ordered the land acquisition and a charter for the university to be finalised.

“Daanish University would be an institution where deserving and talented students will receive high-quality, research-based education.

“This university should be developed having international-standard technical and applied sciences and equipped with state-of-the-art technology and advanced research facilities with highly qualified faculty,” the minister said, according to a press statement issued after the meeting.

Like Al-Qadir University, which was established under Al-Qadir Trust, this university will also be established under Daanish Trust. The government maintains that setting up this university under a trust will ensure its independence and financial survival.