Quaid-i-Azam University

Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU),^[a] founded as the University of Islamabad, is a public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan.^[3][4] Founded as the University of Islamabad in 1967, it was initially dedicated to postgraduate study, but later expanded to an interdisciplinary university offering both undergraduate and postgraduate education. The university became known by its current name in 1976.^[2][5]

Quaid-i-Azam University

جامعہ قائداعظم
Former names	University of Islamabad
Motto	وَمَن يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا (Arabic)
Motto in English	"And he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing"[1]
Type	Public National University
Established	22 July 1967; 57 years ago (1967-07-22)
Academic affiliations	Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC)
Chancellor	President of Pakistan
Vice-Chancellor	Niaz Ahmad Akhtar
Students	13,000[2]
Undergraduates	6,500+
Postgraduates	3,500+
Doctoral students	3,000+
Location	Islamabad , 45320 , Pakistan 33°44′50″N 73°08′20″E
Campus	Urban, 1,700 acres (690 ha)
Colours	Blue and white
Website	www.qau.edu.pk

Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad

Overview

As of 2015^[update], QAU has grown into the largest university in Islamabad with a total enrollment exceeding 13,000 students.^[2] The university is on a 1700 acre (6.9 km²) campus on the foothills of the Margalla.^[6] Divided into four faculties and nine affiliated research institutes, QAU is among Pakistan's largest and highest-ranked universities.^[7]

The university has interacted with international institutions, including the United Nations, University of Tokyo and the ICTP.^[2][8] It counts several public figures and intellectuals among its current and former faculty, researchers, or alumni since its establishment, including Maleeha Lodhi, Nasim Zehra, Shamshad Akhtar, Suhail Zubairy, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Farzana Aslam, Tasneem Zehra and Salma Zahid.

The university is currently led by Dr. Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, and has four different faculties and 38 departments, institutes, schools and centers.

History

The University of Islamabad was established on 22 July 1967 by the Government of Pakistan. It was renamed as Quaid-i-Azam University in honor of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, in 1976, the centennial of his birth. However, the spelling of the university's name was kept different ("i" was used instead of "e" for the ezāfe that links the two words in Jinnah's title "Quaid-e-Azam").

The university offered teaching and research programs for PhD and MPhil degrees upon its founding and later offered Master's programs. The university now also offers undergraduate programs in both evening and morning shifts.

Faculties and departments

Quaid-i-Azam University consists of four faculties. The following departments, institutes, and schools work under these faculties.

Faculty of Natural Sciences

The university was renamed in honor of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), founder of Pakistan.

• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Computer Science (Ranked 201st Worldwide)
• Department of Earth Sciences
• Department of Electronics
• Institute of Information Technology (Ranked 201st Worldwide)
• Department of Mathematics (Ranked 225th Worldwide)
• Department of Physics (Ranked 225th Worldwide)
• Department of Statistics

Dr. Muhammad Raziuddin Siddiqui Memorial Library (Main Library) at Quaid-i-Azam University

Faculty of Social Sciences

• School of Law
• Quaid-i-Azam School of Management Sciences (QASMS)
• Department of Anthropology
• School of Sociology
• Department of Linguistics
• Department of Defence & Strategic Studies
• School of Economics
• Department of History
• School of Politics and International Relations
• Taxila institute of Asian civilizations
• Department of Psychology

Faculty of Biological Sciences

• National Center for Bioinformatics
• Department of Animal Sciences
• Department of Biochemistry
• Department of Microbiology
• Department of Plant Sciences (Ranked 125th Worldwide)
• Department of Environmental Sciences
• QAU School of Medicine
• Department of Pharmacy
• Department of Biotechnology

Faculty of Medical Science

• Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital Rawalpindi
• Army Forces Post Graduate Medical Institute
• Health Services Academy, Islamabad
• Federal Medical & Dental College
• Quaid e Azam Postgraduate Medical College, PIMS

Institutes

• Institute of Information & Technology
• National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR) Center for Excellence
• Saulat Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Research
• Center of Excellence in Gender Studies
• National Institute of Psychology
• National Institute of Pakistan Studies
• Area Study Centre for Africa, North & South America

Chairs

• Quaid-i-Azam Chair
• Benzair Bhutto Chair
• Rumi Chair

Central Library

The university has central library (CL), named as DR. Raziuddin Siddiqi memorial library situated at the centre of the university campus and having total covered area is approximately 102,500 sq. ft. On 06-02-1999, the Central Library (CL) was renamed the Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi Mermorial (DRSM) Library in honour of Dr. Raziuddin Siddiqi's illustrious and meritorious achievements as the founding Vice Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University. University offers DRSM Library services for faculty and students of the university.

OPAC

Provides bibliographic information of print books available in main and seminar libraries of the university

E-Resources

Access E-books, E-Journals and open access material related to course oriented and research.

Seminar libraries

The main library has its six sub libraries in various departments of the university.

Electronic thesis/ D-Space

The link consists of Electronic version of all thesis produced in the QAU by students of Master, M.Phil. and Ph.D. The resource on this link is under development phase.

Ask librarian

Ask your question from Chief Librarian via e-mail.

HEC digital library

Access to E-books, E-Journals and open access material related to course oriented, research and many many more.

E-library

The E-library is the sub office of DRSM. which provides various services to faculty and students.

E-library quick links

The section consists of Useful links for Plagiarism, Research Articles and E-Books.

Rankings and reputation

University rankings
Global – Overall
QS World[9]	315
THE World[9]	401–500
USNWR Global[10]	381
Regional – Overall
QS Asia[9]	=84
THE Asia[9]	=137
National – Overall
HEC National[11]	1

In the 2024 QS World University Rankings, the university was ranked 315th globally and 86th in Asia. The physics department is ranked 201st–250th, the mathematics department is ranked 150th–200th, the agriculture department is ranked 201st–250th. In the 2010 rankings, the university was ranked 6th in the natural science category, and was ranked 100th–200th in the 2007 and 2009 rankings.^[12]

Into the 2019 Higher Education Commission of Pakistan rankings, the university was ranked 1st in the general category.^[13] In the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QAU was ranked 401st–500th.

Notable alumni and faculty

1. Sajad Haider
2. Abdul Rashid Ghazi
3. Aasim Sajjad Akhtar
4. Abrar ul Haq^[14]
5. Hamza Ali Abbasi
6. Ahmed Hassan Dani
7. Akbar S. Ahmed
8. Alamgir Hashmi
9. Ansar Pervaiz
10. Arshad Sharif
11. Asghar Qadir^[15]
12. Fayyazuddin
13. Ismat Beg
14. Ishfaq Nadeem Ahmad
15. Irshad Hussain
16. Hareem Farooq
17. Ilhan Niaz
18. Khadija Mushtaq
19. Maliha Lodhi
20. Marriyum Aurangzeb^[16]
21. Mazhar Mahmood Qurashi
22. Muhammad Sharif
23. Muhammad Suhail Zubairy
24. Muhammad Imran Qadir
25. Nasim Zehra
26. Nargis Sethi
27. Nisar Ali Khan
28. Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema^[17]
29. Pervez Hoodbhoy
30. Qaiser Mushtaq
31. Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry
32. Rana Mubashir
33. Zafarullah Khan
34. Raziuddin Siddiqui
35. Shamshad Akhtar
36. Shireen Mazari
37. Tahir Amin
38. Tasneem M. Shah^[15]
39. Zia Mian
40. Brigadier Anis Ahmed

• Notable Alumni
• 
  Abrar-ul-Haq is a Pakistani musician and politician.
• 
  General Khalid Shameem Wynne was a retired Pakistani four-star general and former Chief of the General Staff.
• 
  Sajad Haider was a former Pakistan Air Force officer.
• 
  Muhammad Zakaullah was the former Chief of Naval Staff.
• 
  Sartaj Aziz was a Pakistani economist and a strategist who served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
• 
  Ismat Beg is a mathematician, known for his work on multiple-criteria decision analysis and the fixed point.
• 
  Shamshad Akhtar served as the vice president of the World Bank.
• 
  Dr. Maliha Lodhi is a leading Pakistani diplomat.
• 
  Asghar Qadir is a Pakistani mathematician and a prominent cosmologist.
• 
  Naela Chohan is a Pakistani diplomat and women rights activist.
• 
  Nasim Zehra is a leading journalist.
• 
  Salma Zahid is a Member of Parliament of Canada.
• 
  Irshad Hussain is a Pakistani chemist and Nanomaterials scientist.
• 
  Ayesha Siddiqa is a Pakistani military scientist.

See also

• List of Islamic educational institutions

Notes

1. Urdu: جامعہ قائداعظم