I first heard about FAST when I was in my second year of college. It was my biology teacher who mentioned it casually in class. He talked about FAST and GIKI, and at that time both names were completely new to me. I remember telling him, “Sir, this is very interesting stuff and our field is kinda boring.” I didn’t know what computer science really was, but something about that conversation stuck with me.
After that day, whenever someone mentioned computer science, FAST would almost always come up. People spoke about it like it was the gold standard. Everyone had something to say about how strong FAST’s computer science program is, and I started to wonder what made it so special.
Before I actually stepped into the world of computer science, I went deep into researching FAST. I wanted to know what this university really is, why it gets so much respect, and what makes its graduates stand out. So here’s what I found and what I’ve experienced since then.
FAST was the first university in Pakistan to introduce computer science as a proper degree. It all began back in the early 80s with a small setup in Karachi. At that time it was affiliated with Karachi University and had only a handful of students, but the vision was clear even then. This wasn’t someone’s personal venture or a business setup. FAST was started as a foundation university by Agha Hasan Abedi, a man whose name not many people know today, but whose contribution to education in Pakistan is beyond incredible. With just some donation money and a vision to bring advanced science and technology to the country, he laid the roots of what would become one of the top tech institutions in Pakistan. From that small beginning, FAST now has campuses in six major cities and continues to grow stronger every year.
FAST is known for producing some of the most skilled and hardworking computer science graduates in the country. But it’s not just luck. The secret behind this is something every FAST student knows too well. It’s the ragra. Yes, the grind, the struggle, the non-stop pressure that defines student life here. Maybe I’ll write a full blog on what ragra really means, but for now just know that FAST doesn’t let you relax. The exams are difficult, the grading is strict, and the deadlines never end. But this is exactly what builds resilience and real-world skills.
There was a time when companies like Microsoft would come directly to FAST for hiring. They would visit the campus, take interviews, and pick students straight from there. The university became known for sending many of its graduates to big tech firms in Silicon Valley. Even though that direct hiring pipeline isn’t active anymore, the impact it left still echoes in the tech circles of Pakistan.
The alumni network of FAST is huge and powerful. You’ll find FAST graduates in companies like Google, Meta, Amazon and so many others. I was listening to a podcast where a FASTian, now working at Google, shared a story about his flight to the US. He found other FASTians on the same plane. And when he reached Google, there were even more FASTians already working there, not recent graduates, but people from the early batches who had already made their mark. That’s what amazed me. Even back then, FAST had found its way into Silicon Valley. It wasn’t some recent phenomenon. The university had been quietly producing talent that made it to the top long before social media started hyping things up.
I once interviewed a FASTian from one of the early batches, Nauman Anwar, and he shared a lot of his experiences from those initial days, how FAST shaped his mindset, and how the university’s culture back then built the foundation for so many future success stories. You can listen to that podcast below:
And it’s not just the tech industry. Many people in Pakistan’s entertainment world are also FAST graduates. You’ll find them leading teams, building startups, launching products, and even creating viral content. FASTians are everywhere. From classrooms to boardrooms.
One thing I always found interesting is how FAST focuses more on producing strong engineers than chasing research. Unlike some other universities in Pakistan that are all about papers and publications, FAST’s main goal has always been clear. Train students so well that they can step into the industry and start contributing from day one. It’s about preparing real-world problem solvers. People who can build startups, work under pressure, and adapt to tough environments. The four years at FAST are not easy. Surviving the program itself is an achievement. But that’s what makes the graduates different. It’s hard, and that’s the point. If it were easy, everyone would have done it.
Today, even after so many years, the name still stands strong. The Foundation for Advancement of Science and Technology, known widely as FAST, and its computing school NUCES, continues to be the top choice for students who are serious about computer science.
If you’ve ever wondered why people talk about FAST with such respect, this is why. It’s not about hype. It’s about the results. The students, the alumni, the grind, the culture. All of it comes together to create something that’s honestly hard to describe unless you’ve experienced it yourself.
And maybe that’s what makes FAST so different.