Merit-based quality education for talented students top priority, says PM

He added that the university, equipped with advanced educational, research and technological facilities, would emerge as a centre of excellence in technology for Pakistan and the wider region. Shehbaz said talented students from across the country would be selected for admission to the university purely on merit.

The meeting was informed that 185 applications had so far been received for various faculty positions at Daanish University, while the selection process for highly qualified and talented faculty members was underway.

The meeting was also briefed that a talent hunt programme had been launched for students currently studying in the second year of FSc and A-Level programmes for admission to the university’s Virtual School.

Successful candidates selected for the Virtual School will receive five months of classes completely free of cost., the test for virtual classes will be held in more than 40 cities across the country on October 24, 2026. The university building is expected to be completed next year, while regular academic activities are scheduled to begin on September 20, 2027.

The university will initially offer programmes in bioengineering, electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, and technology and sociology. A bridge programme will also be introduced to help students prepare for regular university studies and provide them with the necessary academic support.

The programme will run from August 10 to September 14, 2027. Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Khan Cheema, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, MNA Osama Sarwar, Daanish University Board of Trustees Chairman Arif Saeed and senior government officials attended the meeting.