Pakistan’s efforts to attract foreign universities to set up branch campuses have got off to a rocky start, with experts saying the country still needs to address concerns about its stability before any institutions take the plunge.

Earlier this month the regional government in the Punjab named four UK universities it claimed were in the process of establishing a presence in the area as it seeks to follow neighbouring India in becoming a hub for transnational education.

Asked by Times Higher Education about the plans, the institutions – the universities of London, Gloucestershire and Leicester as well as Brunel, University of London – all denied the reports.

Imperial College London has also since been forced to rebut claims it is set to open in Pakistan after the government appeared to erroneously announce that it would.

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The University of London said that “while we always welcome opportunities to discuss higher education in Pakistan and have long-standing relationships in the country, we have not agreed to establish a branch campus there”.

Gloucestershire said: “To clarify, Pakistan is a very important part of the world for us and we welcome students from there every year, however we do not have any current plans to open a campus in the Punjab.”

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A Brunel spokesperson added that while the university “has long-standing academic links in Pakistan and values its collaborative partnerships in the region…we can confirm that we do not currently have any plans to open a branch campus in Pakistan”.

Meanwhile Leicester said simply: “This is news to us.”

Last year Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) launched a new  and guidelines for branch campuses as it sought to clarify how foreign universities could work in the country.

Punjab itself has a strategic plan for higher education that is intended to “turn local universities into globally competitive institutions”.

Pakistan has long been seen as a potential host for branch campuses, given its large youth population and growing demand for international education.

The Punjab government said universities from Kazakhstan and South Korea were also looking at working in the region.

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But past initiatives have struggled to get off the ground owing to regulatory delays, funding constraints and shifting political priorities.

Analysts warn that without stable governance and clear regulation, instability and inequality could drive institutions away.

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“Pakistan is not exactly a fully stable country, and that should raise not necessarily red flags, but at least some concerns,” said Philip G. Altbach, professor emeritus at the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, who said financial and political risks would make early adoption hard.

“Potential partners for a branch campus would need to think not only twice, but nine times before proceeding.”

Narender Thakur, professor in the department of economics at the University of Delhi, said the internationalisation drive risks running up against regulatory hurdles and exacerbating inequality.

Pakistan’s higher education participation rate is only 12 per cent and the advent of expensive foreign degrees will drive a further wedge between those who can afford it and those who can’t, he said. 

“The foreign entry will lead to more socio-economic inequality as well as privatisation of higher education,” Thakur added. 

Furthermore, a prevention of for-profit education in the Pakistan constitution could bar foreign private universities from setting up, he said.

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Times Higher Education approached the Punjab government for comment but received no response.

tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com