The University of the Punjab (Punjabi: پنجاب یونیورسٹی; Urdu: جامعہ پنجاب), also referred to as Punjab University, is a publicresearch university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is the oldest and largest public sector university in Pakistan.[1]
There are 45,678 students (27,907 morning students, 16,552 evening students and 1,219 diploma students). The university has 13 faculties of which there are 83 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
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
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]
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.
Post Partition
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
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]
University of the Punjab is ranked 741 - 750 Internationally in the QS World University Rankings for the year 2024[29] and 2nd nationally. It is also ranked #140 in Asian universities by QS Rankings.[30]
Faculties
There are 19 faculties with 10 constituent colleges, 73 departments, centres, 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]
College of Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES)
University Oriental College lahore (PUOC)
Institutes
Institute of Business Admisnistration
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
Library
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]
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.
^Campus, University of the Punjab, Gujranwala. "Short Courses". pugc.edu.pk. Retrieved 30 July 2022.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^[hhttps://www.topuniversities.com/universities/university-punjab "QS World University Rankings: University of the Punjab"]. Top Universities. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
