University of the Punjab

The University of the Punjab (UoP), also referred to as the Punjab University (PU), is a public research university in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Founded in 1882, its international influence has made it one of the most prestigious universities in South Asia; being the oldest and largest public sector one in the wider Punjab region, as well as in Pakistan.[1]

University of the Punjab
Coat of arms
Other name
Punjab University
Mottoایمان ، اتحاد ، تنظیم
(Iman, Ittehad, Tanzeem)
Motto in English
Faith, Unity, Discipline
TypePublic research university
Established14 October 1882; 142 years ago (14 October 1882)[1]
FoundersGottlieb Wilhelm Leitner
Academic affiliations
ChancellorBaligh ur Rahman
Vice-ChancellorKhalid Mahmood[2][3]
Academic staff
1006 full time and 300 part time faculty members[1]
Students45,678 on campus students. (27,907 morning students, 16,552 evening students and 1,219 diploma students), 363,416 (off campus)[4]
Location
Canal Road, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore
, ,
Pakistan
Campus
List
  • Main
    Quaid-e-Azam "New" Campus – Established 1958, 1,781 acres (721 hectares)
  • Satellite
    Allama Iqbal "Old" Campus – Established 1882, 50 acres (20 hectares)
  • Khanaspur Campus – Established 1964, 2.47 acres (1.00 hectare)
  • Gujranwala Campus – Established 2006, 10 acres (4.0 hectares)
  • Jhelum Campus – Established 2011, 32 acres (13 hectares)
Colours Blue  Bronze  Red 
NicknamePioneers
Websitepu.edu.pk
Punjab University, Lahore.

With campuses in Gujranwala, Jhelum, and Khanaspur, the university was formally established by the British government after convening the first meeting of establishing higher education institutions in October 1882 at Simla.[5] Punjab University was the fourth university to be established by the British in the Indian subcontinent; the first three universities were established in other parts of British India.[6][7]

There are 95,678 students (27,907 morning students, 16,552 evening students and 1,219 diploma students). The university has 19 faculties of which there are 138 academic departments, research centres, and institutes.[1] Punjab University has ranked first among large-sized multiple faculty universities by the HEC in 2012.[8] There are also two Nobel Laureates among the university's alumni and former staff.[1] Additionally, the university is also a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities of the United Kingdom.[9]

History

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The University of Punjab[10] was given its initial impetus in 1854 by Wood's despatch. The Institute of Administrative Sciences was created in 1962. Many major institutions that were previously affiliated to the university have become independent universities, such as Government College University, Lahore and Medical and Engineering Colleges. [11][12]

Pre Partition

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On 1 January 1864, Government College, Lahore, (now Government College University, Lahore) was established. The Lieutenant Governor of Punjab Donald Friell McLeod appointed Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner as principal of Government College Lahore (now Government College University, Lahore). On 12 March 1868, a resolution was adopted at a public meeting in Lahore to establish University of the Punjab at Lahore. On 8 December 1869, Punjab University College was established in Lahore and on 14 October 1882, University of the Punjab was established.[13][14]

Prof. Arthur Compton, who discovered Compton effect used to be an appointed lecturer in the university. He received the Nobel Prize in 1927.[15][16]

Founding Colleges

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After the resolution of 12 March (1868), in 1869 Punjab University College was established, consisting of Punjab University Law College and Oriental College, which are still the oldest departments and founding constituent colleges of Punjab University. Government College University was also made a part of University of the Punjab which was later separated and became an independent university in 2002.[citation needed]

Post Partition

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The fate of the university after the partition of India in 1947, was deliberated at the Punjab Partition Committee, with representatives from East Punjab advocating for a division of the university. The senate of the university voted to split the university, and the matter reached the Partition Council at the centre, but a decision could not be made.[17] The government in East Punjab was compelled to establish a new university, which eventually became the Panjab University in Chandigarh.[18]

Campus

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Allama Iqbal Campus in Lahore

The university is divided into campuses across Punjab with one summer campus located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:[5]

  • Allama Iqbal Campus: also known as the old campus, located in the centre of Lahore, it is named after the South Asian thinker and mystic poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal. The campus houses the Senate, the Syndicate, the Selection Board and the Advanced Studies & Research Board are generally held there.[19]
 
 
PU
Location in Lahore (Quaid-i-Azam Campus)
  • Quaid-i-Azam Campus: also known as the new campus, is named after the founder of Pakistan and is located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the south of the Allama Iqbal Campus. Spread over an area of 1,800 acres (7 km2). The campus is the centre of academic and administrative activities of the university. A canal divides the academic blocks from the student lodgings.[20]
  • Gujranwala Campus: the faculties of Commerce, Economics and Management Sciences, Banking & Finance, Law, English, and Information Technology all conduct teaching in the campus. In addition to degree programs, campus provides short courses, facilitated by e-Rozgar program of Punjab Information Technology Board.[21][22]
  • Khanspur Campus: the summer campus is located at a height of about 7,000 ft (2,100 m) in the Himalayan range near Ayubia. The campus, in addition to providing research facilities, is used as a recreational center for the faculty and the students.
  • Jhelum Campus: having opened in 2012,[23] it offers studies relating to the faculties of Commerce, Economics and Management Sciences, Law and Computer Science.[24]

Academics

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Rankings

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University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World[25]701–800 (2023)
QS World[26]741–750 (2024)
THE World[27]801–1000 (2024)
USNWR Global[28]=1140 (2023)

University of the Punjab is ranked 570 Internationally in the QS World University Rankings for the year 2025[29] and 2nd nationally. It is also ranked #18 in Asian universities by QS Rankings.[30]

Faculties

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There are 19 faculties with 10 constituent colleges, 73 departments, centers, and institutes. It has 1006 full-time and 300 part-time faculty members involved in teaching/research and over 6,000 non-teaching/supporting staff with 45,678 on campus students (27,907 Morning students, 16,552 Evening students and 1,219 Diploma students):[31][failed verification]

  • Faculty of Arts and Humanities
  • Faculty of Agriculture
  • Faculty of Geo-Sciences
  • Faculty of Information & Media Studies
  • Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences
  • Faculty of Commerce
  • Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences
  • Faculty of Education
  • Faculty of Engineering & Technology
  • Faculty of Health Sciences
  • Faculty of Islamic Studies
  • Faculty of Life-Sciences
  • Faculty of Oriental Learning
  • Faculty of Pharmacy
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Quality & Industrial Systems Engineering
 
Punjab University Mosque

Constituent colleges

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Institutes

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  • Institute of Business Administration
  • Institute of Administrative Services
  • Institute of Business and Information Technology
  • Institute of Information Management
  • Institute of Botany
  • Institute of Zoology
  • Institute of Geography
  • Institute of Special Education
  • Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology
  • Institute of Applied Psychology
  • Institute of Social and Cultural Studies
  • Institute of Geology
  • Institute of Electrical Electronics and Computer Engineering
  • Institute of Polymer and Textile Engineering
  • Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology
  • Institute of Metallurgy and Material Engineering
  • Institute of English
  • Institute of Punjabi and Cultural Studies
  • Institute of Urdu Language and Literature

Facilities

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Library

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The library is one of the largest libraries among the universities of Pakistan. The library has more than 500,000 books, magazines and periodicals, in nine national and international languages, in print and on CD, DVD, microfilm, microfiche, video and audio cassette, and manuscript.[32] Punjab University Library has a two-storey building with a total area of 102,000 square feet. There are reading halls on the ground and first floors with a seating capacity of 2500 readers. The library has an internet lab. In the library there is a computerised "MLIMs" catalogue for searching material.[33]

Notable alumni

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Muhammad Iqbal, among the first modern Muslim philosophers, the intellectual father of Pakistan.
 
Abdus Salam was the first Pakistani to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics 1979.

Nobel Laureate

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Educationist

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Politicians

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Raja Anwar [Pakistan people party founder] and [writer of {جھوٹے روپ کے درشن }]

Scientists

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Lawyers

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Judges

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Architects

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Literature

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Noted PU faculty

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(Most of the alumni listed above also served in the University of the Punjab faculty, so their names are not repeated here)

Vice Chancellors

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Introduction". University of Punjab. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  2. ^ "University of the Punjab". pu.edu.pk.
  3. ^ "In brief". The Nation. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  4. ^ "Fact Books" (PDF).
  5. ^ a b "PU campuses". University of the Punjab. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  6. ^ "A History of the University of the Panjab". World Digital Library. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Affiliation". PU. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  8. ^ "HEC Pakistan Rankings by research quality". Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  9. ^ "ACU members". ACU Members. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  10. ^ "The University of the Punjab".
  11. ^ "Educationist; 'Premiere Education Newspaper of Pakistan'".
  12. ^ "Educational & Career Counseling Portal for Pakistani Students'". Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  13. ^ Lal, Chaman (26 March 2017). "Panjab University: Journey and evolution". The Tribune. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  14. ^ Bangash, Yaqoob Khan; Virdee, Pippa (October 2022). "Partitioning the University of the Panjab, 1947". The Indian Economic & Social History Review. 59 (4): 423–445. doi:10.1177/00194646221130414. hdl:2086/22269. ISSN 0019-4646. S2CID 253263019 – via SAGE Journals.
  15. ^ "Our lost heritage – II – The Friday Times – Naya Daur". 24 May 2019.
  16. ^ "University of the Punjab, Adexen.com".
  17. ^ Bangash, Yaqoob (6 January 2019). "The Punjab University and Partition-II". The News International. Pakistan. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  18. ^ Lal, Chaman. "Panjab University: Journey and evolution". The Tribune. India. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  19. ^ "Allama Iqbal Campus". University of the Punjab. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  20. ^ "Quaid-i-Azam Campus". University of the Punjab. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  21. ^ "Gujranwala Campus". University of the Punjab. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  22. ^ Campus, University of the Punjab, Gujranwala. "Short Courses". pugc.edu.pk. Retrieved 30 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Punjab University opens Jhelum Campus". pu.edu.pk. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  24. ^ "Jhelum Campus". University of the Punjab. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  25. ^ "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023". shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  26. ^ "QS World University Rankings: University of the Punjab". Top Universities. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  27. ^ "University of the Punjab". Times Higher Education (THE). 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  28. ^ U.S. News. "University of Punjab". Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Top Universities QS World University Rankings 2023". Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  30. ^ "Rankings & ratings". Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  31. ^ "University of the Punjab official website". Pu.edu.pk. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  32. ^ "Punjab University Library Introduction". pu.edu.pk. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  33. ^ "Punjab University Library – History and Introduction". Pulibrary.edu.pk. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
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