The University of Peshawar, as a mother educational institution of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is an outcome of the dream of the father of the nation and was created as the first-ever University after independence. It is vigorously working with its full zeal and spirit, truly serving and sacred cause of education altogether.
The University of Peshawar is not only catering to the academic needs of Peshawar but also of the whole province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The highly qualified and trained faculty, student-friendly and supportive administration, modern curricula, conducive academic environment, and excellent infrastructure are the hallmarks of the University.
To be a prominent public sector university in the region, recognized for its global perspective, diverse and supportive learning environment, having an international reputation in research and creative discovery, and emphasis on leadership development.
The University of Peshawar, a future-oriented and unique institution is committed to achieving excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, research, and public service. The University provides superior and comprehensive educational opportunities through doctoral and special professional educational levels.
The University contributes to the advancement of society through research, creative activity, scholarly inquiry, and the development of knowledge. The University preserves and promotes arts, benefits the nation’s economy, serves the citizens through public programs, and is dedicated to the production of quality human resources for the knowledge-driven development of the country.
University of Peshawar (1950) is the third oldest university in Pakistan after Punjab and Jamshoro. It started as a comprehensive university with a great mix of basic and applied sciences, humanities and social sciences, and professional disciplines such as engineering, medicine, agriculture, forestry, commerce, home economics, and law. By the mid-eighties, the University of Peshawar was an education city rather than a university campus. It is still so though the professional disciplines have been clipped away as separate universities and institutions (Engineering University, Agriculture University, Peshawar Forest Institute, Khyber Medical College, etc.). These universities and institutions have fortified themselves as islands but the University of Peshawar has kept itself open and vast as an ocean and still equally caters needs of students, faculty, and staff on campus irrespective of their affiliation. In the process, the university has been facing all kinds of pressures ranging from security concerns, financial crunches, and deteriorating academic standards.
The research culture at the University of Peshawar is well entrenched and dates back to many decades. On average, Ph.D. and MS/MPhil students experience waiting for the evaluation of their thesis after submission for over a year, which has set the research output by the university at its abysmal low. We need to not only facilitate the faculty and students engaged in research but also furnish them with the respect they deserve.
Together with the Islamia College, the University of Peshawar has catered to the needs of the region at its best. Most of the provincial leadership in the last half a century owes their education and training and ultimate rise to executive positions to the University of Peshawar. This role as the hatchery for future leadership of the province and the country needs to be not only upheld but also needs further strengthening to ensure the university’s continued relevance to society.
