On a humid afternoon at a public university in Islamabad, a young sociology student sat alone in a nearly deserted department library. The shelves around him were lined with dusty books, many untouched for years. Across the campus, lecture halls for business administration and computer science were overflowing with students preparing for careers in the corporate and technology sectors. In the social sciences wing, however, silence prevailed.
The scene reflects a growing crisis in Pakistan’s higher education system: the slow but steady decline of social science research.
Over the past two decades, Pakistan has witnessed a remarkable expansion in higher education. Universities have multiplied, enrolment has surged, and thousands of degrees are awarded every year. Yet academics warn that beneath this quantitative growth lies a disturbing reality. Research in fields such as sociology, political science, history, anthropology, international relations and gender studies is weakening, while the intellectual culture necessary to sustain meaningful scholarship is steadily eroding.
For many scholars, the decline is visible not only in shrinking research output but also in the quality and relevance of the work being produced.
“Research is increasingly becoming an exercise in ticking boxes rather than understanding society,” says a senior academic who has spent more than two decades teaching social sciences. His concern echoes a broader debate among researchers who argue that Pakistan’s universities have become trapped in a publication race where quantity matters more than substance.
According to experts, one of the biggest challenges is the way academic incentives are structured. Researchers are often judged by the number of papers they publish rather than the social value or policy relevance of their findings. As a result, many scholars replicate international studies or apply imported theoretical frameworks without addressing Pakistan’s unique social, political and economic realities.
The problem is particularly alarming for a country facing complex challenges ranging from poverty and urbanisation to climate change, extremism, governance failures and educational inequality. These are precisely the issues that social scientists are trained to investigate, yet many researchers lack the resources, institutional support and academic freedom required to explore them in depth.
Funding remains another major obstacle.
While substantial investments have been directed towards engineering, medicine, technology and natural sciences, social science departments often struggle to secure research grants. Budgetary constraints, economic pressures and shifting policy priorities have further reduced opportunities for fieldwork, data collection and long-term research projects.
For young academics, the situation can be discouraging. Limited funding means fewer conferences, fewer collaborative projects and fewer opportunities to engage with international research communities. Many promising scholars eventually seek careers abroad or move into administrative and consultancy roles where financial rewards are greater.
The crisis extends beyond research to the classroom itself.
Students in many universities continue to encounter outdated curricula, passive lectures and rote-learning methods that leave little room for debate, inquiry or critical thinking. Assignments frequently stress memorisation rather than analysis, while examinations reward recall instead of originality. The result is a generation of graduates who possess degrees but often lack the intellectual tools necessary to understand and address societal problems.
Recent assessments by educational authorities have highlighted deficiencies in analytical reasoning, writing skills and independent thinking among university graduates. Many students struggle to formulate coherent arguments, conduct meaningful research or engage critically with academic literature.
The consequences are visible in academic publications as well.
Researchers associated with policy institutions have argued that much of Pakistan’s social science research remains superficial, focusing on broad generalisations rather than digging deeper into the structural causes of national challenges. Important questions often remain unanswered. Why has economic growth remained inconsistent? Why do tax reforms repeatedly falter? What institutional barriers prevent effective governance? Why do educational inequalities persist across regions and social classes?
These are questions that require rigorous, locally grounded research, yet scholars say there is little incentive to pursue such difficult investigations.
Equally troubling is the absence of vibrant academic communities. In leading universities around the world, researchers regularly participate in seminars, workshops and informal discussions where ideas are challenged and refined. In Pakistan, many academics work in isolation. Research networks remain weak, interdisciplinary collaboration is rare, and opportunities for intellectual exchange are limited.
The environment is further constrained by ideological sensitivities and a culture that often discourages dissenting perspectives. Scholars argue that meaningful social science research cannot flourish without academic freedom and the ability to critically examine social and political realities.
Outside the universities, societal attitudes also play a role.
Parents and students increasingly view education through an economic lens. Degrees in medicine, engineering, information technology and business are perceived as pathways to stable employment, while social sciences are frequently dismissed as impractical or financially unrewarding. As a result, some of the country’s brightest students avoid these disciplines altogether, creating a talent deficit that further weakens the field.
Yet many experts caution that neglecting social sciences comes at a national cost.
Technological innovation alone cannot solve problems of governance, social cohesion, public policy or democratic development. Understanding how societies function, how communities respond to change and why institutions succeed or fail requires insights that only social science research can provide.
As Pakistan navigates economic uncertainty, demographic pressures and rapid technological transformation, the need for robust social science research has arguably never been greater. Scholars argue that reversing the decline will require more than increased funding. Universities must reform curricula, promote critical thinking, strengthen research networks, reward quality over quantity and create environments where intellectual inquiry can thrive.
Back in that quiet university library, the sociology student continues working on his research proposal. His topic examines why young people are losing trust in public institutions. It is exactly the kind of question Pakistan needs answered. Whether the country’s academic system will provide him with the support to pursue it remains uncertain.
For now, the shelves remain dusty, the classrooms subdued and the warnings from scholars increasingly urgent. Unless decisive action is taken, many fear that Pakistan’s social sciences may continue to shrink into irrelevance at a time when the nation needs them most.