National University of Modern Languages (Urdu: جامعہ قومی برائے جدید لسانیات is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. The university began as an institute in 1970 to help people communicate and understand each other in different languages, to assimilate different cultures and to act as a springboard for emerging disciplines. At present it is a fully autonomous, degree-awarding university. It is the largest and the oldest university in Pakistan that specializes in linguistics and foreign languages. It has crossed several barriers and now teaches 27 languages in addition to many emerging arts and sciences. The university accommodates more than 10,000 students and over 1,000 staff members. The University is currently ranked at No.23 in General category of HEC rankings. The President of Pakistan is the Chancellor while the Federal Minister of Education is the Pro-Chancellor. The day-to-day administration is controlled by a Board of Governors. Federal secretaries of different ministries and prominent citizens from both private and public sectors function as its members.