Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad (Urdu: جامعہ قائداعظم; commonly referred to as QAU), founded as University of Islamabad, is a public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Founded as the University of Islamabad in 1967, it was initially dedicated to the study of postgraduate education, but later expanded to an interdisciplinary university offering undergraduate and postgraduate education, and established as Quaid-i-Azam University in 1976.
Overview
As of 2015, QAU has grown into the largest university in Islamabad with a total enrollment exceeding 13,000 students. The university is on a 1700 acres (or 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 public universities.
In the QS ranking 2024: QAU is ranked 315th globally. The Physics department is ranked 201-250. The Mathematics department is ranked 150-200. The Agriculture department is ranked 201-250. In Emerging Economics, QAU is ranked 401-450. QAU is ranked 86th in Asia.
The university has intellectual interaction with international institutes, 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. They include 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.
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, founder of Pakistan in 1976 – which was the year of his birth centenary. However, the spelling of the university’s name were kept different i.e. “i” was used instead of “e” for 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 in the beginning and later offered Masters programs. The university now offers undergraduate programs in both evening and morning shifts batches.
Quaid-i-Azam University has four different faculties and 38 departments, institutes, schools and centers.
Faculties and departments
Quaid-i-Azam University consists of four faculties. The following departments, institutes/schools work under these faculties:
Faculty of Natural 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 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.