Rethinking Higher Education Reform in 2026
Any hope for Pakistan’s economy to recover lies in radical changes to our system of higher education. Research conducted by the World Bank (2022) suggests that for more than 90% of countries, sustainable economic development has been linked to the establishment of a strong university system. The World Bank OECD (2023) report emphasizes the importance of institutional autonomy, transparent governance, and stable funding for university-based research in order for universities to be competitive. Contrary to these recommendations, Pakistan’s higher education system is highly centralized with strict hierarchies and a control-based bureaucracy that stifles innovation and academic freedom.
Change in the professional culture of universities is also necessary. The absence of meritocratic evaluation, politically influenced leadership positions, and deeply ingrained hierarchies makes it difficult for institutions to build trust. The Australian and UK models of performance-based funding and the UK’s Research Excellence Framework, for example, along with the AAUP (American Association of University Professors), illustrate that accountability mechanisms which are designed to stimulate quality, and not the other way around, can be coupled with a high degree of autonomy. The AAUP considers shared governance to be foundational to academic professional practice.
Gender inequality in faculty structures is another significant issue that needs to be addressed. Women continue to be underrepresented in senior academic positions globally, including in South Asia. This is as mentioned in the Global Education Monitoring Report published by for UNESCO for the year 2022. To improve this, addressing promotion gaps and providing equal opportunity to conduct research is essential.
Scarce resources, as usual, limit this further. Limited funding for research, poorly equipped laboratories, and limited access to subscriptions to international journals further isolates researchers from the global research community. This is mentioned by the World Bank in 2020. Before any innovative research can be produced, unrestricted access to digital libraries and the availability of research funding are the prerequisites.
The mental health of students is critically at risk. Researchers at the World Health Organization in 2023 reported that cases of anxiety and depression continue to rise among university students. The rise of anxiety and depression is often the result of academic stress, an uncertain job future, and pressure to perform. Universities in Pakistan need to incorporate the establishment of counseling operations, the implementation of workload reforms, and the implementation of support learning environments.
As such, it is imperative that reform be more than compliance to structural regulations. Beyond structural reform, reform must be professionalism, equity, research capacity, and student wellbeing. Without significant changes in education, plans for the revival of the economy will not be realized.
The author is an Assistant Professor of English at the FAST National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.