thumb|Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad

Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), founded as the University of Islamabad, is a public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan. 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.

Overview

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

The university has collaborated with international institutions, including the United Nations, University of Tokyo and the ICTP. 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 SciencesNatural Sciences

• 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

Faculty of Social SciencesSocial 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 SciencesBiological 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 ScienceMedical 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.

Rankings and reputation

In the 2024 QS World University Rankings, the university was ranked 315th globally and 86th in Asia. The physics department is ranked 201st250th, the mathematics department is ranked 150th200th, the agriculture department is ranked 201st250th. In the 2010 rankings, the university was ranked 6th in the natural science category, and was ranked 100th200th in the 2007 and 2009 rankings.

Into the 2019 Higher Education Commission of Pakistan rankings, the university was ranked 1st in the general category. In the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QAU was ranked 401st500th.

Notable alumni and faculty

1. Sajad Haider

2. Abdul Rashid Ghazi

3. Aasim Sajjad Akhtar

4. Abrar ul Haq

5. Hamza Ali Abbasi

6. Ahmed Hassan Dani

7. Akbar S. Ahmed

8. Alamgir Hashmi

9. Ansar Pervaiz

10. Arshad Sharif

11. Asghar Qadir

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

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

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

39. Zia Mian

40. Brigadier Anis Ahmed

See also

• List of Islamic educational institutions

Notes

References

External links

• of Quaid-i-Azam University