Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar suggests that universities can enhance their infrastructure, faculty quality, and research capabilities through increased government funding and public-private partnerships.

This he said while speaking at Habib University on Wednesday. President Habib University Wasif Rizvi, Lt- Gen (retd) Tariq Waseem Ghazi, and faculty members received the chief minister and showed him the multi-layered campus.

The chief minister said that the provincial government had established several universities in the province, and efforts were being made to make them the best educational institutions. “The establishment of a university is not enough, but to make it a seat of learning is a big challenge,” he said.

Justice Baqar expressed satisfaction over the private sector’s contribution to higher education, citing Habib University as a shining example of this collaboration between industry and academia.

He lauded the state-of-the-art architecture of Habib University, its faculty and modern method of education. “This university is not merely an institution, but it is a complete package of the best faculty and an ideal educational atmosphere.”

During a briefing to the CM, Wasif Rizvi revealed that Pakistan has been ranked 119th in higher education, behind Nepal, Bangladesh, and Ghana. He added that only 12 percent of the intermediate enrolment can secure admission to higher education, which is a cause for concern and needs to be addressed.

He suggested that the government should consider launching higher education through public-private partnerships to secure investments in the sector.