Times Higher Education (THE) organized an online masterclass/session for the World University Rankings (WUR) 2025 on Monday, October 21, 2024. The session aimed to provide a better understanding of the methodology overview, analysis of the results, performances and yearly trends, information regarding participation in THE’s WUR 2026 edition, and a Q&A about the WUR Dashboard.

Duncan Ross, Chief Data Officer THE, was the keynote speaker of the session. He started with a brief introduction to the methodology of WUR, its types, and the number of participating universities. He shared insights about the following WUR metrics used for WUR:

a. Teaching 

b. Research Environment 

c. Research Quality 

d. Industry 

e. International Outlook 

He discussed the detailed methodology of WUR, the analysis, and the current number of participants along with their results. He also highlighted some data sources of WUR, such as the academic reputation survey, the renowned partnership with Elsevier (a global information analytics company), and the focus on research publications.

Ishan Aina, Director Consultancy THE, was the second speaker of the session. He shared information about the consultancy services provided by THE aimed at improving performance based on organizations' requests, including Internationalisation & Transnational Education (TNE), Research Strategy, Industry Insights, and Academic Networks.

Lewis Tuthil, Regional Director (UK) THE, held a Q&A session at the end. Participants from universities and academic organizations around the world engaged with both speakers to resolve their queries. Air Cdre Muhammad Ismail, SI (M), (Retd), Consultant Quality Assurance Directorate at NUMS, along with the QA Directorate staff, represented NUMS in this session.

Relevance: SDG-4; Quality Education

The International Association of Universities (IAU), the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya’s eHealth center, and the IAU SDG-3 Cluster jointly organized an International Webinar on “Addressing Mental Health and Well-being in Universities” on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Lev Raphael, Coordinator of the eHealth Centre at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, moderated the session. Many public health professionals and representatives from universities around the world attended. Pam Fredman, Former Head of IAU; Elin Breckroy, Director of Equity, Safety, and Well-being at Western University of Ontario; Stev Leive, Mental Health Manager at Sydney University; Galuh Suryandari, PhD student at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, Gadja Mada University in Indonesia; and Joy Louise Onoria, Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Uganda, addressed the audience.

The speakers talked about mental health challenges, issues, causes, consequences, and impacts in universities around the globe and the way forward to tackle such challenges and issues.

The speakers discussed the causes of mental health issues among university students, staff, and faculty, highlighting factors such as anxiety, frustration, and tension that can lead to severe outcomes, including suicides and broader societal decline. Key contributing elements include job insecurity, work overload, negative attitudes from superiors, academic and social pressures, isolation, an intense academic environment, and financial stress. They also explored ways to address and reduce these challenges.

Counseling services at all universities, proper funding for research and innovation to tackle such challenges, training sessions for students, staff, and faculty members, adequate peer support, prioritization of mental health of the people, especially of the young youth in governments’ policies are the primary way forward to counter such challenges, which the experts discussed and emphasized that governments around the globe take quick actions in this regard.

The Manager and Assistant Quality Assurance Directorate represented NUMS in this beneficial session.      

Relevance: SDG-3; Good Health and Well-Being

                  SDG-17: Partnership for The Goals

The Greenwich University, a private research university located in Karachi and one of the leading business HEIs in Pakistan, organized and hosted an International Symposium on the "Importance of Internationalization & Sustainability in Quality Assurance" on Monday, June 3, 2024. The session commenced with a documentary video highlighting Greenwich University's journey and achievements.

Dr. Rab Nawaz, Director of QEC, initiated the session with a welcoming note to guest speakers and all participants. He briefed the participants on internationalization and the session's theme, shedding light on its interlinkages with quality assurance. The primary objective was to provide a global perspective to enhance our understanding of student quality through shared best practices from distinguished speakers from Australia, Mauritius, and Pakistan. The secondary objective aimed to promote collaboration, address challenges, and identify opportunities in integrating internationalization and sustainability into our quality assurance framework to innovate our approaches and explore emerging trends, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and resilience of our quality assurance system.

The guest speakers at the international symposium were:

1. Prof. Dr. Marc Serge, Director at SAPERE Ltd (Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education-UK’s national charity for Philosophy for Children), Mauritius
2. Dr. Wahid Usmani, Director of QEC, Jinnah Medical University
3. Mr. Nazir Khudabux, Director of International Linkages, Greenwich Global College
4. Mr. Ali Jillani, Director of ORIC, Greenwich University

The guest speakers highlighted the importance of internationalization and sustainability and their integration into the quality assurance framework. They shared best practices from their experiences, their respective institutions' practices, and challenges faced in the integration process. The forum emphasized the necessity of practical work in internationalization and sustainability, requiring out-of-the-box efforts. Examples given by the speakers included the interlinkages among universities, student exchange culture, the establishment of branch campuses in different countries, and SDGs-related curriculum development.

Q & A session was held at the end of each guest speaker's talk. Participants posed queries to the speakers and shared their ideas for practical implementation in the quality assurance system. The NUMS quality assurance directorate team attended the conference virtually and received participation certificates from Greenwich University.

Reference: SDG-4 Quality Education.

The Newport Institute of Communications and Economics (NICE) Karachi hosted an international webinar on "Approaches of Quality Enhancement in Higher Education" on Friday, June 28, 2024. The session, moderated by Syeda Zeerak Fatima, Manager of QEC NICE, was graced by a diverse group of quality assurance professionals and academicians from around the globe. Syeda Zeerak Fatima introduced the three keynote speakers, Dr Saqib Rahman, Dr Ammar Alwadah, and Dr Denisa Bogdana Abrudan, who each brought a unique perspective to the discussion.

Dr Saqib Rehman deliberated on curriculum revision, faculty development, industry-academia linkages, the use of the latest technology and infrastructure development to enhance the quality of higher education. He also talked about the commercialization and privatization of higher education and learning, especially concerning Pakistan, where he linked the crisis of quality enhancement in higher education with the governance crisis and lack of vision and farsightedness. He discussed the importance of industry-academia linkages for the country's Socioeconomic development and the overall quality enhancement in higher education.

Dr Denisa talked about the power of innovation in higher education. She told the audience that the twenty-first century is the age of information revolution, globalization and technological revolution.  She further told the participants that the global experts ranked top universities, like MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Imperial College London, and the University of Oxford, on the above-stated parameters.  She emphasized innovation and technological advancement in higher education to improve its quality and to have a better and more developed World ahead.

Dr Ammar Alwadah also emphasized the importance of industry-academia linkages, innovation, and a technologically driven higher education system. He shared inspiring examples from Saudi Arabia's Education system to authenticate his arguments, leaving the audience inspired and well-informed.

The session concluded with a rigorous QA session in which the participants asked multiple questions of the experts. These questions ranged from the practical implementation of the discussed strategies to the potential challenges in their execution, and were answered satisfactorily, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the topics discussed.

The International Conference on Accreditation and Internationalization in South Asian Higher Education Institutions was held on Monday, 03 June 2024, at the HEC Secretariat, Islamabad. The conference was jointly organized by the Quality Assurance Agency QAA, HEC, and FAST-National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences. The gathering marked the culmination of the ERASMUS+ (European Union's programme to support Education, Training, Youth and Sport in Europe) funded project titled “Strategic Support for Accreditation of Programs and Internationalization at South Asian Higher Education Institutions.”

The aims of conference included:

●  Participants could learn from international experts hailing from Portugal, Germany, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan on the best practices and strategic approaches for internationalizing South Asian universities.

●   Explore the intricacies of navigating the international quality assurance process, developing effective plans for international accreditation, and fostering global collaborations.

●   Connect with representatives from leading universities across South Asia and Europe to exchange ideas and explore potential partnerships.

Dr Amir Qayyum, Project Coordinator SSAPI (Strategic Support for Accreditation of Programs and Internationalization) at South Asian Higher Education Institutes, shared a keynote presentation at the start of the conference. Furthermore, guest speakers from Portugal, Germany, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan shared their experiences and achievements and gave presentations regarding international accreditation of various programs including Engineering, Computer Science, Management Science, Medical Science, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Psychology programs.

Dr Zia Ul-Qayyum, Executive Director HEC and Mr Nasir Shah, Director General QAA HEC, graced the conference with their presence and shared their ongoing efforts in internationalization and latest developments in advancing effective QA mechanism in Pakistan and beyond.

Conference provided participants an attractive chance for networking opportunities with delegates from five countries and eight foreign universities, facilitated through interactive sessions and dedicated breaks. Dr Erum Monis Deputy Director Quality Assurance NUMS attended the conference physically, while QA team members participated virtually.

Relevance: SDG-4 ; Quality Education

Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) (FCCU), Lahore, organized an International Seminar on Leadership Role in Quality Assurance on February 15, 2024.

The event commenced with Dr. Nayer Fardows, Registrar & Director (QA), FCCU, initiating the proceedings. Dr. Jonathan S. Addleton, Rector of Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), delivered welcome remarks, setting the tone. Following that, Dr. James Appleton, President Emeritus of the University of Redlands, USA, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing adapting quality assurance practices to organizational culture. Dr. Shahid Munir, Chairperson of the Punjab Higher Education Commission, expressed appreciation for the keynote speech and endorsed an accommodative leadership model. Subsequently, Dr. Rukhsana David, Chairperson of the Board of Governors at FCCU, highlighted the importance of consistent effort to achieve high-quality standards. The audience actively participated in interactive sessions, posing questions on various topics. The speakers satisfactorily addressed queries, leading to a productive exchange of ideas. Finally, the seminar concluded with closing remarks from Dr. Douglas Trimble, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Forman Christian College.

Dr. Erum Monis, Deputy Director of the Quality Assurance Directorate at NUMS, represented the institution at the hybrid session, extending NUMS's participation in the event per FCCU's invitation.