The NED University of Engineering & Technology, was established in March 1977 under an act of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh after upgrading of the former NED Government Engineering College, which was set up in 1921. The NED University is thus one of the oldest institution in Pakistan for teaching and producing Engineering graduates. Prior to this, the D.J.Sindh College , used to run classes to train subordinates for the Sindh P.W.D., the Municipalities and Local Boards.
On August 29, 1921 College Principal C.S Shahani made a concerted effort to get Engineering Degree classes started to meet demands of Civil Engineers on the project for completion of the Sukkur Barrage. Application to this effect was made to the University of Bombay through the Commissioner of Sindh, who was ex-officio president of Sindh Collegiate Association (a registered society of subscribers for providing higher education in Sindh). The Bombay University however rejected the application on the grounds of insufficient finance and insisted on entirely separate buildings, laboratories for the engineering college as a separate institution. After collection of donations from the Puribai and Becharbai Trust, Vishandas Fatehchand Brothers and one huge donation (for that time) of Rs.150,000 from the family of Mr. Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw, the new college buildings and laboratories were constructed on separate land. The new college was originally the Prince of Wales Engineering College but later renamed in memory of Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw. The NED College was provisionally granted affiliation on 23-05-1923 by the University of Bombay for the first and second year courses in Civil Engineering and 78 students were provisionally admitted into first year classes in 1922. Permanent affiliation followed in February 1927.
The first-full time Principal of NED Engineering College was Mr. G.N.Gokhale who joined on 1st July 1923. Prior to this, Rai Sahib Bhupatrai had acted as Honorary Principal. The first professor (and Vice Principal) was Mr. S.B. Jannarkar who, along with Mr. Gokhale, did all the spadework in organizing and equipping the various departments and ordering the equipment for the Power House, Boiler Room, Hydraulics Laboratory, Engine Room and Machine Shops.
The original NED Engineering College was housed in four blocks of buildings and two sheds. The main block was named as Seth Fatehchand Dewandas Khilnani Hall. The block housing the Power House, Electrical and Hydraulics Laboratories, and Workshops was named after Bai Puribai and Bacharbai. Further additions were made to this block to provide accommodation for the Machine Shop on the ground floor and a (Mechanical) Drawing Hall on the first floor. The fourth block, completed in 1945, contained a Classroom and Clerk's Office on the ground floor and another (Civil) Drawing Hall on the first floor.
Two sheds were also built, one to house the Carpentry and Smithy Shops, and the other, alongside the Electrical Laboratory and Engine Room, to train technicians. The total cost of the buildings was just over Rs. 265,000 and the cost of equipment (including machinery, electrical instruments; models, steam, gas and oil engines; surveying and leveling instruments), books and furniture was just under Rs. 400,000. The college remained affiliated to the University of Bombay from its inception in 1922 to 1947, after which it was taken over by the Government of Sindh; renamed as NED Government Engineering College and affiliated to the University of Sindh. After establishment of the University of Karachi in 1951, the affiliation of the College was transferred to this University. In 1964 a comprehensive plan was prepared to shift the college from its location in the congested downtown area (where no expansion was possible) to a new site adjoining the University of Karachi. The project was carried out with the assistance of the World Bank which provided Rs.118 millions in two phases and the College was shifted to its new 40 hectare Main Campus in 1975.
On the 1st of March, 1977 the NED Government Engineering College became the NED University of Engineering and Technology. From an enrolment of 50 students in 1923, the student population, at both undergraduate and graduate levels, has now gone up to nearly 11,986. The faculty of Bio-Medical Engineering is located at NED LEJ Campus for which the land and building - estimated value Rs. 350 million - was donated by (Late) Latif Ebrahim Jamal, a well known philanthropist.
In October 2019, a constituent college was established at Mithi city of district Tharparkar, Sindh which is around 350 km towards East from Karachi (“Thar Institute of Engineering, Sciences & Technology” called). The main purpose of establishing this institute is to provide quality education to the deprived students of this district and surrounding area, and to produce qualified workforce for rapidly developing coal excavation and power generation industries in this area of the province. Initially BS (Computer Science) programme was launched in year 2019 followed by Civil Engineering programme started in the year 2021. Other Engineering programmes including Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Mining Engineering will be started soon in the subsequent years.
The first Vice Chancellor of the University was Mr. A. M. Akhoond who was succeeded in sequential order by Prof. Dr. A. T. Khan, Prof. Dr. Jameel Ahmed Khan, Prof. Dr. M. Munir Hasan, Prof. Dr. A. Q. Qazi, Engr. Abul Kalam, Prof. Dr. M. Afzal Haque and Prof. Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi is the present Vice Chancellor.