A new report titled “Modernizing Media Education in Pakistan” will provide concrete recommendations for improving higher education on media and communication studies through capacity building, industry-aligned academic programmes, and institutional partnerships.
The report will be launched on 27 October 2025 during the Global Media & Information Literacy Week at a ceremony at the Department of Digital Media of Punjab University in Lahore. The launch ceremony will be held in collaboration with the Coalition of Media Education and Teaching (CoMET), an alliance of media departments.
The report is based on a survey of 92 Pakistan universities which offer degree programmes in media and communication studies through their respective media studies departments. It is jointly produced by International Media Support (IMS), Mediastan and the Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA). Its key findings include:
- The number of public or private universities that offer media degrees in Pakistan has increased to nearly 100 in 2025, registering a staggering 376% increase since 2006.
- Around 37,000 students are enrolled at these universities in bachelor’s, master’s or PhD programmes in media and communication studies altogether.
- Only around 40% of the media studies departments at these universities report formal partnerships with media houses, reflecting a major gap in interfacing with the media industry.
- Barely half of the 92 media studies departments surveyed currently offer courses on disinformation, fact-checking, or media literacy.
The report offers comprehensive actionable recommendations to modernise media education in Pakistan through structural reforms, public–private collaboration, industry-aligned curricular updates, faculty development, and regional and gender inclusivity. It also calls for stronger ties with media houses and professional bodies to boost the experiential learning and career opportunities of media students.
IMS Programme Manager Adnan Rehmat, who co-authored the study with Punjab University Assistant Professor Dr Shafiq Ahmad Kamboh, noted the pressing need to bridge academia-industry gaps in a press briefing ahead of the launch.
“Structured institutional partnerships of media studies departments with the professional news industry can ensure students are informed about journalism ethics, media and labour laws, newsroom culture and policy debates,” Rehmat said. “University collaboration must also expand beyond traditional news outlets to build linkages with digital-only public interest news media.”
The report will be available for download on the Mediastan website on Monday, 27 October 2025.
