Leadership Crisis in Pakistan’s Higher Education: Diagnosing the Causes and Charting the Way Forward

Abstract

Pakistan's higher education sector has undergone significant expansion in recent decades. However, this expansion has not been matched by effective leadership. This paper explores the leadership crisis facing Pakistan’s higher education institutions by identifying systemic, political, and structural challenges. Using a qualitative document analysis approach, the study draws on existing literature, policy documents, and empirical reports to highlight leadership deficiencies and their impacts on academic governance, research culture, and institutional autonomy. The paper also proposes a set of practical and policy-level recommendations to address the ongoing leadership vacuum in Pakistani academia.