
The National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES) (), commonly known as Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST), is a
private research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...
with multiple campuses in different cities of Pakistan.
Overview
The university is the first multi-campus university in Pakistan, having five modern
campuses
A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls.
By extension, a corp ...
based in different cities.
[University Overview of National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences on UniRank website (University Rankings by an international website)]
Retrieved 10 February 2020 These campuses are located in
Chiniot
Chiniot ( Punjabi, Urdu: ) is a city and the administrative headquarters of Chiniot District in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Located on the bank of the river Chenab, it is the 28th most populous city in Pakistan.
It is also known for ...
-
Faisalabad
Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, second-largest city and primary List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, industrial center of the Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan ...
,
Islamabad
Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...
,
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
,
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
,
Multan
Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
and
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
, providing a standard educational environment and recreational facilities to 11,000 students, out of which 500 are faculty members and a quarter is covered by female students. Founded as Federally Chartered University, it was inaugurated by President
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008.
Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...
in July 2000. It is consistently ranked among the leading institutions of higher education in the country and ranked top in computer sciences and information technology by the
Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in 2020.
Its
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
programs are accredited with the
Pakistan Engineering Council. FAST is a not-for-profit educational institution charging subsidized fees from its students. Besides this, FAST offers different financial assistance programs for deserving students in the form of loans.
History
The Foundation of Advancement of Science and Technology was founded and established by Justice (Retd) Syed Akhlaq Hussain and the
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
The Bank of Credit and Commerce International was an international bank founded in 1972 by Agha Hasan Abedi, a Pakistani financier. The bank was registered in Luxembourg with head offices in Karachi and London. A decade after opening, BCCI had ...
financier
An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital the investor usually purchases some species of property. Types of in ...
.
Hasan Abidi, founder of BCCI, provided a large financial capital for the university to promote research in
computer sciences and
emerging technologies
Emerging technologies are technology, technologies whose development, practical applications, or both are still largely unrealized. These technologies are generally innovation, new but also include old technologies finding new applications. Emer ...
during the 1980s.
Later this foundation established the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences which was inaugurated by
Former President and Chief of Army Staff General Pervez Musharraf in 2000.
It is privileged to be the first
private sector university, having multiple campuses set up under the Federal Charter granted by Ordinance No.XXIII of 2000, dated 1 July 2000.
Established in 1980, the sponsoring body of FAST university was registered by the
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...
as a
charitable institution. FAST was a pioneer in Pakistan's IT sector development by offering the country's first
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
computer science curriculum, with its headquarters in Islamabad. FAST is considered to be one of the top IT programs in Pakistan, alongside LUMS, GIKI and NUST. Many alumni of FAST have risen to senior positions in companies like Alphabet, Meta and Amazon.
Campuses
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences is a university in Pakistan, with a multi-campus setup and its central administration based in Islamabad. The university operates five campuses in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Faisalabad.
Islamabad Campus
The FAST National University Islamabad campus is situated at A.K Brohi Road, H-11/4 and serves as the university's main hub.
Karachi Campus
The FAST National University Karachi campus has two branches: the main campus, located on the National Highway, and the city campus, located in Block-6 PECHS.
Lahore Campus
The FAST National University Lahore campus is situated in Faisal Town and spans 12.5 acres of land.
At the Lahore campus, students have access to only studies.
Now,there are multiple societies that students can join.
Peshawar Campus
The Peshawar campus of the FAST National University is for students seeking an education in technical fields. It is located in the
Hayatabad suburb of
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
.
Students can pursue degree programs in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration.
Chiniot-Faisalabad Campus
The Faisalabad campus of the FAST National University is the fifth and newest addition to the university's network of campuses. It is located on 22 acres of land on the Faisalabad-Chiniot Road, approximately nine kilometers from the Faisalabad Motorway interchange.
The Faisalabad campus offers degree programs in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration.
Multan Campus
FAST National University, Multan Campus is located in the city of
Multan
Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
, in the province of
Punjab, Pakistan
Punjab (, ) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the Demographics of Pakistan, most populous province in Pakistan and the List of first-level administrative divisions by popu ...
. The campus provides easy access to students from all over the region.
Academic Profile
FAST university offers
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...
,
post-graduate
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...
and
doctoral programs in business and sciences, at their campuses. The availability of bachelor programs depends on the campuses.
Undergraduate Studies
The undergraduate courses are offered by university in different disciplines for bachelor's in sciences and business, leading to a bachelor's degree.
In Pakistan, a bachelor's degree in computer science from FAST is highly regarded in the field of technology and is often considered equivalent in prestige to a MBBS degree from a reputable medical university in their respective fields.
Faculty of Computing
Dean: Jawwad Shamsi
Degrees offered:
* BS (Artificial Intelligence)
* BS (Computer Science)
* BS (Cyber Security)
* BS (Data Science)
* BS (Financial Technologies)
* BS (Software Engineering)
* BS (Computer Engineering) *NEW*
Faculty of Engineering
Dean: Dr Saima Zafar
Degrees offered:
* BS (Civil Engineering)
* BS (Electrical Engineering)
Faculty of Management Sciences
Head of School: Dr. Sadia Nadeem
Degrees offered:
* BBA
* BS (Accounting and Finance)
* BS (Business Analytics)
* BS (Financial Technologies)
Graduate Studies
The university offers post graduate studies for different disciplines for master's in sciences and business, leading to a master's degree.
Faculty of Computing
Dean: Jawwad Shamsi
Degrees offered:
* MS (Artificial intelligence)
* MS (Computer Networks & Security)
* MS (Computer Science)
* MS (Data Science)
* MS (Software Engineering)
* MS (Software Project Management)
Faculty of Engineering
Dean: S.M Sajid
Degrees offered:
* MS (Civil Engineering)
* MS (Electrical Engineering)
Faculty of Management Sciences
Dean: M. Ayub Siddiqui
Degrees offered:
* MBA
* MS (Accounting and Finance)
* MS (Business Analytics)
* MS (Management Sciences)
Faculty of Science & Humanities
Dean: Dr.Summaira Sarfraz
Degrees offered:
* MS (Applied in linguistics)
* MS (Mathematics)
Doctor of Philosophy
Degrees offered:
* PhD (Civil Engineering)
* PhD (Computer Science)
* PhD (Electrical Engineering)
* PhD (Management Sciences)
* PhD (Mathematics)
* PhD (Software Engineering)
Notable alumni
*
Farhan Saeed - singer, actor
*
Fawad Khan – singer, actor
*
Mir Zafar Ali – visual effects artist who won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
for the animated film ''
Frozen'' (2013)
[IT pioneer in Pakistan, FAST eyes more programmes in future](_blank)
The News International (newspaper), Published 21 May 2014, Retrieved 10 February 2020
*
Osman Khalid Butt – actor
*
Xulfi – musician, singer, music producer, song composer
*
Hania Amir — Actress
Zain Shahid — Head of Performance Marketing at onic Pakistan
Research labs
FAST-National university encourages the growth of research in university. It has its research labs in four campuses, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi. It is further accredited as one of the leading research institutions of computer science in the country.
See also
*
List of medical schools in Pakistan
**
List of medical schools in Islamabad
**
List of medical schools in Punjab, Pakistan
**
List of medical schools in Sindh
**
List of medical schools in Balochistan
**
List of medical schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
**
List of medical schools in Azad Kashmir
**
List of medical schools in Gilgit-Baltistan
*
List of universities in Pakistan
**
List of universities in Islamabad
**
List of universities of Punjab, Pakistan
**
List of universities in Sindh
**
List of universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
**
List of universities in Balochistan
**
List of universities in Azad Kashmir
**
List of universities in Gilgit-Baltistan
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:National University of Computer And Emerging Sciences
Educational institutions established in 2000
2000 establishments in Pakistan
Programming contests
Private universities and colleges in Pakistan
Engineering universities and colleges in Pakistan
Private universities and colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Computer science institutes in Pakistan
Universities and colleges in Lahore
Universities and colleges in Peshawar
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Universities and colleges in Islamabad
Universities and colleges in Punjab, Pakistan