:University of Karachi

At the time of establishment of Pakistan as a sovereign state in 1947, the means for higher education and research were negligible and diminished in the country. Responding to the impending requirement of higher learning, Pakistan Government started establishing educational institutions of higher learning and research and thus underwent rapid modernization under a policy guided by Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan.{{cite journal |author=Nasib Akhtar |author2=Riazul Islam |author3=Inamur Rahman |title=A History of the University of Karachi|journal=Department of Journalism, Dept. Of History and Dept. Of Physics|date=October 1978|publisher=B.C.C.&T Press University of Karachi|location=Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan|type=Hardcover}} Its first Vice-chancellor was Dr. ABA Haleem.{{cite news|last=MUBARAK HUSAIN|title=Karachi University & its history|url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/784779/karachi-university-its-history|access-date=6 September 2013|newspaper=The News Internationale, Geneva|date=Jan 30, 2013}} In 1953 it started its teaching and research activities at two faculties: the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science.

For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained an examination university for the affiliated colleges. Over the years, the enrollment expanded rapidly. Karachi University first intake was 50 students, the university now has 53 academic departments and 20 Research Centers and Institutes, under faculties of Social Sciences, Science, Islamic Studies, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy, Management and Administrative Sciences and Medicines. The enrollment of regular students at the campus is around 28,000. There are over 700 faculty members and circa 2,100 supporting staff.{{Cite web |title=University of Karachi - About Us |url=https://uok.edu.pk/welcome-address.php}}

Michael Ecochard designed the Karachi University master plan and campus buildings.{{Cite book |last=Verdeil |first=Éric |url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01114132 |title=Michel Ecochard sur l'autre rive de la Méditerranée |date=2019 |publisher=Atelier Baie / Villes de Martigues |isbn=978-2-919208-55-5 |language=fr}}{{Cite web |last=Karrar |first=Shabbir Kazmi {{!}} Mariam |date=2017-11-26 |title=ARCHITECTURE: ECOCHARD IN KARACHI |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1372867 |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

{{Location map | Karachi

| width = 300

| float = right

| caption = Location in Karachi

| alt =

| label = KU

| position = right

| background =

| lat_deg = 24.9351

| lon_deg = 67.1211

}}

The university campus area is over {{convert|1279|acre|km2}} of land, situated 12 km away from the city center of Karachi. The university has about four percent of International students who come from 23 different countries in the regions of Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East (West Asia) and Europe. The university has a high standard of teaching, with many professors being well-known scholars and academics of international repute. In a short span of 40 years, the university has risen to acquire a high status in the field of education in Pakistan as well as in the region.

On November 27, 2023, the Bohra community leader Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin inaugurated a new state-of-the-art facility for law students on the Karachi University (KU) campus.{{Cite web |last=Ilyas |first=Faiza |date=2023-11-28 |title=Syedna inaugurates new School of Law building at KU |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1793106 |access-date=2023-11-30 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} The new School of Law building, spread over 45,000 square feet, features an Islamic ethos of positive change through education. With its large capacity, the building will allow a greater number of graduate and postgraduate students to pursue multiple law programs.{{Cite web |last=APP |date=2023-11-28 |title=Dr Syedna Mufaddal inaugurates school of law building at KU |url=https://www.brecorder.com/news/40275483 |access-date=2023-11-30 |website=Brecorder |language=en}}

The most prestigious research center of the university is the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences which has over 500 students enrolled for PhD in organic chemistry, biochemistry, molecular medicine, genomics, nanotechnology and other fields. The Husein Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry, Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Development and the Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research are an integral part of this multi-disciplinary research center.{{cite web|url=http://iccs.edu/|title=International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences|first=Interactive Media Pakistan -|last=imedia.com.pk|website=iccs.edu|access-date=11 May 2018}} It was selected as the UNESCO Center of Excellence in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.dnanews.com.pk/58157-2/|title=ICCBS of Pakistan Becomes UNESCO's Category-II Partner - DNA News Agency|date=21 November 2016|access-date=11 May 2018}} The university's physics and statistics departments are claimed to be well known departments and its research output plays a vital role in the development of science and technology in the country.{{cite web|title=Dept of Stats|url=http://uok.edu.pk/faculties/statistics/index.php}}{{cite web|last=UoK|title=Dept. of Physics|url=http://uok.edu.pk/faculties/physics/index.php|publisher=Dept of Physics|access-date=7 September 2013}}

Furthermore, the department of mathematical sciences is one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Science, which has a three-floor building consisting of an electronic laboratory for computational mathematics.{{cite news|title=Dept of Mathematical Sciences|url=http://www.ngds-ku.org/math/math.pdf|access-date=7 September 2013|newspaper=Dept of Mathematical Sciences}}{{cite web|title=KU Mathematical Sciences|url=http://uok.edu.pk/faculties/mathematics/index.php|publisher=KU Mathematical Sciences|access-date=7 September 2013}}

The department of architecture has produced award-winning designers, architects and artists, who are making their mark in the professional world.{{cite web|title=Dept. of Visual Studies|url=http://uok.edu.pk/faculties/visualstudies/index.php|access-date=7 September 2013}}

The University of Karachi Library is officially known as the "Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library" which has houses well over 400,000 volumes dating back to the 1600s, for researchers as well as for use by students of advanced studies and faculty members.{{cite web|title=Dr. Mahmud Husain Library|url=http://uok.edu.pk/library/index.php|access-date=7 September 2013|newspaper=Dr. Mahmud Husain Library}} The library became the depository of the personal book collection of Muhammad Ali Jinnah– the founder of Pakistan.

Established and constructed in 1952, the Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library is an imposing five story and basement structure firmly placed in the center of campus activities. Teachers from over 100 affiliated colleges frequent the university, along with scholars from 19 research institutions. A loan and resource sharing system exists with other academic entities in the Karachi area. A digital library enables scholars and students to access online books and journals. 25 librarians, 10 assistant librarians and around 90 nonprofessional staff help maintain the library. The building includes six reading rooms for general purposes and six for research. The International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences has within it the Latif Ebrahim Jamal Science Information Centre which is the national focal point for distance education.

Previously called the Karachi University Library, it was renamed the Dr. Mahmud Hussain Library by unanimous resolution of the Karachi University Syndicate on 12 April 1976— the first death anniversary of Prof. Dr. Mahmud Hussain Khan.{{cite web|url=http://uok.edu.pk/library/|title=Dr. Mahmud Husain Library|website=uok.edu.pk|access-date=11 May 2018}} Mahmud Hussain served as the university's Vice-Chancellor from 1971 to 1975 and the library was named in recognition of his contribution to the teaching of social sciences in Pakistan. Dr. Hussain was the first professor the university appointed to its faculty of International Relations and History. He introduced library science to Pakistan by instituting the Faculty of Journalism and Library Science at the university. He also actively worked to improve the status and pay scales of the library staff to make them at par with the university's other faculty members.

In 1957, the Bureau of Composition, Compilation and Translation (BCC&T) was established with main objectives to translated vocabulary containing Urdu synonyms of technical terms, Urdu translation of textbooks of various subjects and classical literature of foreign languages into Urdu language and translation of Urdu classical literature into other languages. To meet the printing needs, a press was purchased in 1988. On 14 October 1999, BCC&T merged with the press operations to form Karachi University Press.{{Cite web |title=About – Bureau of Composition, Compilation & Translation |url=https://kupress.pk/en/about/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |language=en-US}}

The University of Karachi has 9 faculties:{{cite web |url=http://www.uok.edu.pk/faculties/index.php |title=UoK Faculties |access-date=15 April 2011}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Applied Economics Research Centre
• Area Study Center for Europe
• Center for Digital Forensic Science and Technology
• Center of Excellence for Women Study
• Center of Excellence in Marine Biology
• Center for Molecular Genetics
• Centre for Plant Conservation
• Confucius Institute
• Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry
• Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine
• Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genome Research{{cite web|url=http://iccs.edu/pcmd/jrgr.php|title=International Center of Chemical and Biological Sciences|website=iccs.edu|access-date=11 May 2018}}
• Dr. A.Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
• Dr. A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories
• Institute of Clinical Psychology
• Institute of Environmental Studies
• Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Department of Main Communication Network{{Cite web | url=http://uok.edu.pk/credits.php |title = Main Communication Network}}
• Institute of Marine Science
• National Institute of Virology
• M.A.H.Q Biological Research Centre
• National Center for Proteomics
• National Nematological Research Centre
• Pakistan Study Center
• Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre
• Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics
• Institute for Sustainable Halophyte Utilization
• Marine Reference & Research Collection Center
• Umaer Basha Institute of Technology
• Sardar Yasin Malik Professional Development Centre
• H H Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin Building—School of Law{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1793106|title=Syedna inaugurates new School of Law building at KU|website=dawn.com|access-date=28 November 2023}}

}}

{{main|List of University of Karachi alumni}}

Since its establishment in 1951, the university has attracted prominent scholars and renowned educationist as its faculty members, researchers and associated scholars. Scholars and educationists such as Iqbal Hussain Qureshi, Rafiuddin Raz, Mahmud Hussain, Saleemuzzaman Siddiqui, Abdul Qadeer Khan, I H Qureshi, Raziuddin Siddiqui, Atta-ur-Rahman, Mahreen Asif Zuberi, Prof.Khursheed Ahmed, Bina Shaheen Siddiqui are some of those, that have been affiliated with the institution. The faculty was drawn not only from Pakistan but also included eminent educationists from the United Kingdom and the United States. A visit has been made by English Higher Education Leader Chris Husbands to begin collaborative awarding.

Sheikh Zayed Islamic Center.jpg|Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre

Offices Faculty-of-Arts KU.jpg|Offices of the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Way to Arts Lobby KU.jpg|Way to Arts Lobby

Applied Economics Research Centre, University of Karachi.JPG|Applied Economics Research Centre, KU

Commerce Building DOC.jpg|Commerce Building

Department of Applied Chemistry University of Karachi.JPG|Department of Applied Chemistry

Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Karachi.JPG|Department of Food Science & Technology,

KU Arts Faculty.JPG|Arts Lobby

Silver Jubilee Gate Karachi University.jpg|Silver Jubilee Gate of Karachi University

Karachi University Botanic Garden Entrance.jpg|Karachi University Botanic Garden Entrance

{{Main|University of Karachi bombing}}

On 26 April 2022, four people including three Chinese nationals, were killed and four others were injured in a suicide attack outside the Confucius Institute located within the University of Karachi.{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Imtiaz Ali {{!}} Shahzeb |date=2022-04-26 |title=3 Chinese nationals among 4 dead in suicide attack at Karachi University |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1686920 |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}} A female suicide bomber was spotted in the attack footage, who was sent by a militant separatist group BLA Baloch Liberation Army operating from Balochistan.{{Cite web |title=Female suicide bomber behind Karachi attack that killed 3 Chinese citizens: police |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/asia/pakistan-karachi-blast-chinese-nationals-killed-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=CNN |language=en}}

File:Commerce Department UOK.jpg

{{Portal|Pakistan}}

• List of universities in Karachi
• List of universities in Pakistan
• Pakistan Educational Research Network

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://uok.edu.pk UoK official website]

{{commons category|University of Karachi}}

{{Coord|24.94|N|67.12|E|type:edu_region:PK|display=title}}

{{University of Karachi}}

{{Colleges and universities in Karachi}}

{{Sindh topics}}

{{Karachi topics}}

{{Engineering universities in Pakistan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karachi, University Of}}

Category:Universities and colleges established in 1951

Category:Public universities and colleges in Sindh

Category:1951 establishments in Pakistan

Category:Engineering universities and colleges in Pakistan