Project Brief:

In 2002, Pakistan launched an ambitious higher education reform program, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in various initiatives such as faculty development, the establishment of universities, funding for research projects, operationalizing national centers, and launching incubation programs. We propose the first rigorous qualitative evaluation of Pakistan’s research publication landscape. Every year, Pakistani universities publish thousands of research papers, but what is their quality and impact? How do Pakistani researchers position themselves in the international arena? Is there evidence of excellence in their work? In this project, we will develop and train AI tools to analyze international publication repositories, focusing on classifying Pakistani publications in the fields of Engineering and Computer Science over the past two decades, particularly those appearing in top-tier research venues. Our data and findings will be crucial in assessing the actual effectiveness of Pakistan’s higher education reform, providing valuable insights for researchers, educators, and policymakers.

Public Policy Relevance:

The higher education policy of a nation shapes its investment in future generations. Pakistan is a young country, with over 60% of its population consisting of youth eager to contribute to the nation’s economic development. A significant portion of this youth aspires to attend top-ranked universities worldwide, contributing to Pakistan’s economy through remittances. Producing high-quality research at local universities will create opportunities for the youth of Pakistan in the global research landscape. Pakistan is steadily increasing its research funding, particularly in high-tech areas, by establishing National Centers and research grant programs. An objective evaluation of this research spending, focusing on the quality of research output, will significantly influence the future research policy in Pakistan. The data we plan to generate will serve as a guide for reshaping policies and measuring research output at universities, national centers, and centers of excellence throughout the country.

Team Details:

Principal Investigator
Muhammad Latif Anjum
Assistant Professor
NUST, Islamabad

Co-PI
Syed Taha Ali
Tenured Associate Professor
NUST, Islamabad

Co-PI
Muhammad Wajahat Hussain
Associate Professor
NUST, Islamabad

Research Associate
Muhammad Qasim Rizwan
Independent Researcher, Islamabad