About Karachi University

At the time of creation of Pakistan as a sovereign state in 1947, means for higher education and research were negligible. Responding to the impending requirement of higher learning, Pakistan started establishing relevant educational institutions of higher learning and research and thus under went rapid modernization. The University of Karachi was established by an act of Pakistan parliament in September, 1950. The present campus, to which the University shifted in 1959, is spread over 1279 acres of land, situated 12 Km away from the city center.
Today the University is recognized as a premier center of learning and research in the Subcontinent and in the Third World. A number of scientists and scholars affiliated with the University are working in important positions both within and outside Pakistan and have won recognition and acclaim.
At present teaching in the University campus is conducted under six faculties: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Pharmacy. There are 52 departments and 17 research institutes/centers, which are imparting education to more than 24,000 students including students from foreign countries. The faculty comprises of more than 600 highly qualified and experienced teachers; many of them have obtained higher degrees from abroad and enjoy a high repute internationally. The non-teaching staff comprises more then 1700 people to help with administrative and other matters.
The University of Karachi is also an affiliating and examining body and at present, 145 colleges and institutions are affiliated to the University. The courses of studies for these institutions are approved by the University and examinations are also conducted under its auspices. The University conducts examinations of about 150,000 students studying in these colleges/institutes, prepare their results and award degrees.
Spread over 1200 acre of land, the University of Karachi was established through the parliament as a Federal University in 1951. However, through another act of the parliament in 1962 its status was redefined as university of the province of Sindh. On 23rd October, 1950 the Karachi University Act was passed and after an amendment in 1951 it was enacted and Prof A.B.A Haleem was appointed as its first Vice Chancellor. For the first two years, the University of Karachi remained as an examination University for the affiliated colleges. In the year 1953 it started its teaching and research activities at two Faculties of Arts and Science. Opened with an initial intake of 50 students, the university is now a sprawling structure of 53 Departments and 20 world class and highly reputable Research Centers and Institutes, under eight faculties of Arts, science Islamic Studies Pharmacy Commerce & Business Administration, Law, Education and Medicine. At present the enrolment of a regular student at the Campus is slightly over 24,000. There are about 700 teachers and more than 2500 supporting staff.
The University in the beginning was housed in small buildings was housed in small buildings adjacent to the Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, due to rapid expansion, it began to be felt that the space in which the university was functioning was not enough for its needs.