ASU launches first physical campus of a US university in Pakistan

LAHORE: In an innovative development for Pakistan’s higher education system, Arizona State University (ASU) has officially entered into a joint venture with Pakistan by launching ‘the National Institute of Technology (NIT)’, the U.S. university’s first physical campus in Lahore.

This is the first time a U.S. university has established a physical campus presence in the country.

The university is set to start classes in Fall 2025. NIT will lead two schools to impart education: the School of Management Sciences and the School of Data Sciences and Information Technology.

The university will follow the American academic curriculum, following Pakistani culture and educational context in parallel.

Shahzeb Awan, a University of London-trained lawyer, and Jahanzeb Burana, a Harvard-educated finance expert, are leading the initiative.

In April 2025, a formal agreement was signed at the Tempe campus of ASU in Arizona.

According to the ASU officials, the new institute will offer an empowering learning experience to the students, preparing them to succeed in global markets.

The main benefit students will have from this initiative is a dual degree pathway, letting them earn ASU and NIT’s degrees at the same time.

Students will also be able to avail opportunities to study abroad at ASU campuses in Washington D.C., California, and through the ASU-Cintana Alliance, which includes over 30 partner institutions worldwide.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the partnership as a “milestone” for Pakistan’s education sector, after meeting with the representative of ASU, stating, “NIT will be a world-class institution that allows our youth to succeed in global markets,”.

The launch of Arizona State University Pakistan is likely to generate new learning paths, boost employment prospects, and strengthen Pakistan’s reputation in the global academic community.

The campus will include advanced labs, innovation hubs, and incubators to support entrepreneurship and green technology research.

With its pledge to access, affordability, and relevance, NIT plans to reserve 30% of its seats for students from needy backgrounds through need-based scholarships.