Engineering Education

ABSTRACT

Engineering education in Pakistan receives less attention from governmental quarters than its importance to the country would justify. Evidence ofthe fact is that of the 24 universities established in Pakistan since the nation was founded, only six offer engineering. Thus the country has been unable to produce the needed manpower for its development. Furthermore, the meager national investment in engineering education offers little hope of improvement. Similarly, the total human resource output from the universities is unimpressive. In the four-year study period reported in this paper, less than eight percent of the enrolled candidates were successful in earning post-graduate degrees.' Only one percent of these had begun doctorate level research, with none receiving degrees by the end of the period. This paper reviews academic trends affecting engineering students and their priorities. Graduation rates and governmental financial support for the study period have been statistically analyzed.

I. INTRODUCTION

Based on available statistical data, this paper attempts to draw parallels for Pakistan between priorities (as outlined in the Eighth Five-Year Plan2) in engineering education and in science and technology development, and the corresponding needs of the country.

In the Eighth Five-Year Plan, the allocation for various subsectors of education was Rs. 69,031.7 million. Out of this, 4,100 million were allocated for university education. This includes allocations for all engineering and non-engineering universities.1

A. Review

A study of engineering education in Pakistan reveals that, although new universities with diverse disciplines were established during the last 50 years, these have received inadequate support.3 Only 0.22 per cent of GNP is spent on university education in Pakistan. The profile of engineering education in Pakistan also depicts a dismal picture. Contrary to the needs of a society with an annual population growth rate as high as 3.5 percent,4 engineering education has been neglected.

In Pakistan, a country of 140 million, 22 institutions of higher learning were initially established, including four engineering universities (Lahore, Peshawar, Jamshoro, Karachi). During the early 1990's, the government opened the doors for the private sector to participate in providing engineering education and also established two new engineering universities itself at Taxila and Nawabshah.