Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad, Pakistan, revered as the nation’s leading federal institution, is confronting an unparalleled financial crisis, endangering its esteemed status as a center for academic excellence and research.
With the impending announcement of the new budget next month, urgent appeals resonate across the country for augmented funding for higher education, aiming to safeguard not only QAU but also numerous universities grappling with analogous predicaments.
The financial predicament at QAU has escalated to a critical impasse, with an annual deficit surpassing 800 million rupees. As operational costs soar, governmental funding remains static or declines, exacerbating the substantial budgetary shortfall.
This crisis jeopardizes essential services, places academic programs at risk of suspension, and imperils the institution’s renowned standards.
This fiscal turmoil not only disrupts daily operations but also imperils ongoing research endeavors and compromises QAU’s capacity to allure and retain eminent faculty and researchers.
The gravity of QAU’s plight reverberates across Pakistan’s higher education landscape, as universities such as the University of Peshawar, Karachi University, Balochistan University, and Punjab University grapple with analogous financial shortfalls, enduring severe funding cuts that deteriorate infrastructure, diminish academic offerings, and compromise research capabilities.
The cumulative effect threatens the overall quality and international prestige of Pakistan’s higher education realm.
Recent deliberations on budget allocations for public sector universities have disclosed to members of the National Assembly of Pakistan that recurring funding has stagnated at Rs 65 billion since 2018.
Meanwhile, the financial demands of universities have surged, with the insufficiency of allocated funds escalating from 21 percent in 2018-19 to 45 percent in 2023-24.
As the federal government braces to unveil the new budget, rectifying the funding shortfall for higher education emerges as an exigent priority.
Present budget allocations inadequately meet the burgeoning demands of universities, necessitating a substantial increase in the higher education budget to ensure that institutions like QAU can sustainably deliver high-quality education and spearhead world-class research endeavors.
In the impending budgetary deliberations, it is imperative for the government to accord precedence to higher education by substantially augmenting financial allocations to universities. Concurrently, universities must embrace enhanced financial management practices to optimize resource utilization and ensure long-term viability.
The exigency of the financial crisis at Quaid-i-Azam University underscores the pressing need for remedial measures, including the formulation of a bailout package.
Preserving the future of QAU and other higher education institutions transcends upholding academic standards; it embodies an investment in the nation’s future trajectory.
In light of the recent declaration of an Education Emergency by the federal government, the forthcoming budget embodies a pivotal opportunity for reaffirming the government’s commitment to higher education through consequential funding escalations.
Muhammad Murtaza Noor is analyst, writer and higher education expert, associated with this sector for more than 24 years.
