LAHORE (Kashmir English): In a groundbreaking the first US-based university campus has been established in Pakistan.
Arizona State University (ASU) has formally entered into a partnership with Pakistan by establishing the National Institute of Technology (NIT), the first physical campus of a U.S. university in Lahore.
It is for the first time that an American university has set up a physical campus presence in the nation.
The university will begin Fall 2025 classes. Two schools will be led by NIT to provide education: the School of Data Sciences and Information Technology and the School of Management Sciences.
The university will adopt the American curriculum, but in line with Pakistani culture and the educational environment in parallel.
Shahzeb Awan, a lawyer trained at the University of London, and Harvard-educated finance specialist Jahanzeb Burana are spearheading the project.
In April 2025, the agreement was signed officially at the ASU Tempe campus in Arizona.
The new institute, according to the ASU officials, will provide a powerful learning experience to the students, and it will equip them to thrive in international markets.
The primary advantage of the students from this program will be a dual degree route, which will enable them to earn ASU and NIT’s degrees simultaneously.
Students will also be able to take advantage of studying abroad at ASU locations in Washington, D.C., California, and under the ASU-Cintana Alliance, which has more than 30 partners around the globe.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif referred to the partnership as a “milestone” in Pakistan’s education sector, following a meeting with the ASU representative, where he declared, “NIT will be a world-class institution that enables our youth to prosper in international markets,”.
The opening of Arizona State University Pakistan is likely to create new learning opportunities, enhance career opportunities, and advance Pakistan’s profile in the international academic world.
The campus will feature state-of-the-art laboratories, innovation centers, and incubators to facilitate entrepreneurship and green technology research.
With its commitment to access, affordability, and significance, NIT intends to keep 30% of its seats open for students from poor families through need-based scholarships.
