Imagine a university where everything—from applying for admission to receiving your degree—is just a click away. That future is arriving in Pakistan, thanks to the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Through its ambitious Higher Education Development Program in Pakistan (HEDP), funded by the World Bank, HEC is introducing Maktab—a world-class digital system that automates the entire student journey. So far, 11 universities have signed up, and this week, five more joined the mission to modernize.
These newly onboarded institutions include:
-
University of Narowal
-
Emerson University, Multan
-
Women University, Mardan
-
Shuhada-e-Army Public School University of Technology, Nowshera
-
University of Buner
Senior officials from these universities gathered in Islamabad for hands-on training sessions hosted by HEC. The closing session was led by Dr. Jameel Ahmed, Member IT, and Mr. Awais Ahmed, Program Coordinator HEDP, who encouraged the universities to embrace this digital leap forward.
“The world’s top universities are already automated,” Dr. Ahmed said. “Now, Pakistan’s turn has come.”
Maktab, developed in partnership with TMC, is more than just software—it’s a complete digital overhaul. From managing classes and finances to tracking student progress and data, it streamlines everything under one platform. It also reduces costs and delivers a smoother experience for students and faculty alike.
But HEC’s digital vision goes far beyond this.
They’re building secure local cloud services, high-performance computing facilities, and two major data centers—one in Lahore and another in Karachi—so that universities don’t have to rely on expensive foreign tools. These centers, called Astrolabes, will serve as the digital backbone for Pakistan’s higher education system.
All of this is part of a larger dream: to help Pakistan’s universities stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
With technology like Maktab, and the support of a $400 million transformation fund, that dream is no longer far away.