University of Karachi

Spread over 1200 acres of land, University of Karachi was established through the parliament as a Federal University in 1951. However, through another act of the parliament in 1962 its status was redefined as university of the province of Sindh. On 23rd October, 1950 the Karachi University Act was passed and after an amendment in 1951, it was enacted and Prof A. B. A Haleem was appointed as its first Vice Chancellor. For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained as an examination University for the affiliated colleges. In the year 1953, it started its teaching and research activities at two Faculties of Arts and Science. Opened with an initial intake of 50 students, the university is now a sprawling structure of 53 Departments and 20 world class and highly reputable Research Centers and Institutes, under eight faculties of Arts, Science, Islamic Studies, Pharmacy, Management and Administrative Sciences, Law, Education and Medicine. At present, the enrolment of regular students at the Campus is slightly over 24,000. There are over 800 teachers and more than 2500 supporting staff.

The University in the beginning was housed in small buildings adjacent to the Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, due to rapid expansion, it began to be felt that the space in which the university was functioning was not enough for its needs. Moreover, the atmosphere of the congested and polluted area was not conducive to higher education and research. Thus, a plot of 1279 acres of land was acquired on the Country Club Road (now University Road) and on 18th January 1960 the university was shifted to the new campus. Thus began, a new phase in the life of the university. The day is still commemorated by various old students' Association and the University administration jointly.

Karachi University always proudly mentions the names of renowned educationists and scholars associated with this institution of higher learning like, Dr. I. H. Qureshi, Dr. Mahmud Hussain, Dr. Salemuzzaman Siddiqui, Dr. Afzal Hussain Qadri, Dr. M. M. Ahmed, Dr Mujtaba Karim, Prof. M. Ilyas, Prof. Q. Fareed, Dr. Ibadur Rehman Khan, Prof Muntakhib ul Haq, Prof. Memony, Dr. S. M. Yousuf, Dr. M.A Wali and Dr. Karawala. The faculty was drawn not only from Pakistan but also included eminent educationists from Europe and America.

The Karachi University today is the biggest university in the country. It comprises eight faculties with which all the colleges of the city are affiliated. B.S., M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. classes under five of these faculties Arts, Science, Pharmacy, Management and Administrative Science and Islamic Learning are conducted on the campus, while under the Faculties of Medicine, law and Education it examines the students admitted to their affiliated colleges. Research programmers leading to M.Phil and Ph.D Degree are offered under all the faculties.