The recent release of the QS World University Rankings 2026 has yet again underscored the troubling reality of higher education in Pakistan. This year, as in previous years, no university from Pakistan was ranked among the top 350 institutions globally. The country's top-ranked institution, Quaid-i-Azam University, stands at 354 a, placement that, rather than celebrating, should prompt deep reflection and concern across policymaking and academic circles.

As a faculty member at a public sector university for more than two decades, I find it increasingly difficult to receive such news with indifference. These rankings are not mere numbers on a chart; they are symptomatic of a more serious institutional decline. They speak volumes about the erosion of quality, imagination and purpose within our higher education system.

The problem, however, is not simply that our universities have failed to climb the global ladder of prestige. The real tragedy lies in our collective refusal to ask why this continues to be the case. The answer is not elusive. It is........

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