Multan has always remained a centre of excellence in education.
Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya (1172 - 1262 A.D.), a Muslim
religious scholar and saint, established a school of higher
learning in theology in Multan; where scholars from all over the
world came for studies and research. Multan has maintained its
central position and centuries old cultural heritage and
therefore suited ideally to become a center of learning. Thus the
University of Multan was established in 1975 by an Act of the
Punjab Legislative Assembly. To pay homage to the Great Saint,
the name was changed from University of Multan to Bahauddin
Zakariya University in 1979.
The University is located at a distance of 10 km from the city
center. The main Campus is spread over 960 acres of land. The
University has a fleet of 28 buses and 3 coaches which
provides transport facilities to students and staff. The
University
started functioning in 1975 in rented buildings with 8
departments. Presently, it has more than 30 departments/institutes/colleges.
Out of its 523 faculty members, 175 hold
doctoral degrees and among its around 13185 students, half are
female.
The University offers a wide range of programs: M.A., M.Sc.,
MBA, M.Com., MCS, M.Phil, and Ph.D. Additionlly, in recent
years, the University has taken a lead in introducing 4-Year
Undergraduate programs in Science, Commerce, Business,
Pharmacy, Engineering, and English Literature and Linguistics.
Various short-time courses and diplomas have become popular
with the general public and are offered from time to time.
The University is widely known as an institution of strong
performance and high ambition because it has continued to
make excellent progress toward its goals. It plays a significant
role in developing indigenous human resources through its
highly productive achievements, both in sciences and
humanities.
The University through different phases has made tremendous
progress, but some recent developments are remarkable. To
promote the activities of art and culture, Multan College of Arts
was established in 2003. In order to cater to the needs of textile
industry, which is a major industry of the area, the University
College of Textile Engineering was established in 2004. The
University has also established two sub-campuses at Sahiwal
and D.G. Khan to provide education facility at the doorsteps of the people as part of the policy of the Government. Steps have
been taken to establish the University's linkages with the
community and Industry. There has been significant
enhancement in students' enrollment. To ensure quality in
academics and research, Quality Enhancement Cell has been
established. A large number of buildings are under
construction. These buildings will provide better facilities to the
students. The University has implemented semester system in
almost all the departments and organizing international
conferences and seminars has been a routine academic activity.
A significant number of faculty members have been awarded
post-doc research fellowships. The establishment of the
Saraiki Area Study Centre, Institute of Biotechnology and
Faculty of Veterinary Sciences are some recent developments.
The Bahauddin Zakariya University is the fastest growing
public university in Pakistan, and it will continue to play a vital
role in the development of the country.
Jurisdiction
The main objective of the University is to
provide facilities of higher education and
research to the population of the Southern
region of the Punjab. The University fulfils
three functions: teaching, affiliation and
examination. The University has 135
affiliated colleges, which include old and
prestigious institutions such as the Government Emerson College Multan, the
Government College, Sahiwal and the NFC
Institute of Engineering & Technology, Multan.
Administration
The University Senate is the Supreme
governing/legislative Body of the University.
The Syndicate is the Executive Body of the
University and the Academic Council is the
main academic body of the University.
The Governor of the Punjab is the Chancello
of the University, whereas the Minister for
Education, Government of the Punjab is the Pro-Chancellor of the University.
The Principal Executive and Academic
Officer of the University is the Vice-Chancellor, who is assisted by the Deans of
the Faculties, Chairmen/Chairpersons of the
Departments, Directors of the Institutes/
Centre, Principals of the Constituent Colleges
Project Directors of the sub campuses (Sahiwa
Layyah & D. G. Khan) and the four Principal
Officers of the University - the Registrar, the Treasurer, the Controller of Examinations and the Project Director (civil works).
