Importance of agriculture in Pakistan’s economy needs no stressing. In order to increase the agricultural yield, first fertilizer plant was established in 1958. Since then fertilizer capacity has been added both in public and private sector. To ensure optimum benefits from these investments, problems have to be solved locally. With that view Fertilizer Research & Development Institute (FR&DI) was established at Faisalabad in 1986 with technical and financial assistance of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) with objectives to conduct research in the field of fertilizers and process industries. UNIDO and National Fertilizer Corporation Pakistan provided the funds of 20 million rupees for starting this project of national importance.

In this background and considering the requirement of the country, it was decided to up-grade FR&DI and start Bachelor Degree program in Chemical Engineering in May 1998, while retaining its function of R&D. Approval of the Government of Pakistan was obtained and University of Engineering & Technology Lahore granted affiliations. In order to reflect both educational and research functions, the Institute had been renamed as NFC – Institute of Engineering and Fertilizer Research (Pvt) Limited (IEFR). Institute is under the management of National Fertilizer Corporation of Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Ministry of Industries, production & special initiatives Government of Pakistan, containing large number of industrial facilities, which provides a strong technical back up to the students for practical trainings and internships.

Department of Chemical Engineering was established with the aim to enhance research activities in the Institute, to provide students with a high quality education that will enable them to adapt to a rapidly changing technical environment, to produce graduates who will be productive throughout their careers in a wide range of industrial, professional, and academic environments and to develop graduates with strong sense of ethics, professionalism, and the ability to succeed as both individual and team contributors. At the start 30 students were inducted in B.Sc. Chemical Engineering program. In the year 2000 the number of seats were increased to 60. The year 2002 was historical for the Institute when first batch passed out. Response from different industries was very encouraging and ratio of job placement was about to be 80%.

Keeping in view the need for competent and skilled electrical engineers in the industrial field of Pakistan, NFC IEFR started Department of Electrical Engineering in September 2003.

In 2004, NFC IEFR started the 4 years bachelors program in Mechanical Engineering, with an objective to equip the students with an in depth knowledge of Mechanical Engineering and in developing technical skills for design and operation of Mechanical systems.

To cater the industrial demand and meet the challenges of 21st century, Masters programme in Chemical Engineering is being started from September 2006 in affiliation with UET Lahore. It will upgrade the status of Institute and will augment the research & development activities in the Institute. NFC IEFR is the first ever Institute who is permitted by the UET Lahore for starting M.Sc. classes.

Bachelors and Masters engineering programmes are affiliated with University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore. Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the apex body to regulate Engineering education in the country has recognized and accredited all Engineering programmes on the basis of its facilities, high standards of engineering education and competence of academic staff.

Educational, research and project collaborations with different foreign universities are in progress. Twinning engineering degree & Master’s programmes with German universities are about to be finalized. German language center will be started in the Institute in the near future.

Distinguishing features of the IEFR are the Skill Development Programmes, Industrial trainings, timely theory & practical presentations, monthly surprise tests and quizzes, management courses, special classes for spoken English, trainings in a academic environment and in-time completion of study programmes. Advanced engineering courses, methods of instruction, system of midterms and end of term examinations give NFC IEFR a unique position among leading educational institutions in Pakistan.

Seminars, technical lectures, exhibitions and workshops on different scientific and industrial issues are the inimitable component of the Institute.