DASHBOARD
Pakistan's PhD Scholars – Higher Education Tracker
PhD research plays a vital role in strengthening Pakistan’s academic and research ecosystem. With thousands of scholars across universities, understanding their distribution, fields of study, and supervision is essential for grasping the country’s higher education landscape. The HEC PhD Scholars Dashboard provides updated insights into Pakistan’s doctoral community, highlighting growth patterns, subject trends, and institutional contributions.
Explore Pakistan’s PhD Landscape
Pakistan has recorded over 32,640 PhD scholars across 119 universities. This represents decades of academic progress and the growing capacity for advanced research. By analyzing the data, policymakers, universities, and researchers can better understand where doctoral education is thriving — and where challenges remain.
Key Features
Track Supervisor Approval Status: Supervisors are central to doctoral research. Among those who have reported their status, 85% are HEC-approved supervisors, while 14% are not. However, many records lack approval details, highlighting the need for more complete reporting. Tracking this metric helps ensure quality mentorship and strong academic standards across universities.
Top Subjects of Research: Disciplinary trends show that Chemistry leads overall in PhD numbers, followed closely by Mathematics and Education. In recent years, however, the focus has shifted: Mathematics, Islamic Studies, and Education have emerged as the leading fields. These changes reflect evolving academic priorities and the balance between STEM and social sciences.
Universities Driving PhD Production: A few institutions dominate Pakistan’s PhD output. Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad is the top contributor, followed by the University of Punjab, Lahore, and the University of Karachi. The University of Agriculture Faisalabad also ranks high, underscoring the importance of agricultural research in Pakistan.
Stay Updated with HEC PhD Scholars Data
The HEC PhD Directory provides valuable insights into the state of doctoral education in Pakistan. By monitoring trends in scholars, subjects, universities, and supervisors, stakeholders can make more informed decisions for strengthening the higher education sector
Disclaimer
The data source for this dashboard is the Higher Education Commission (HEC) PhD Country Directory. The information has been compiled, analyzed, and visualized for a better understanding of doctoral education trends in Pakistan. The dashboard is for general information purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the data has been reflected as it is available on the official website, without any alterations.