SYED UMAIR ALI
Experienced Leadership at the Helm of Pakistan’s Higher Education
In a significant development for Pakistan’s higher education sector, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has approved the appointment of Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar (SI) as the new Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The appointment comes at a critical time when the country’s higher education system requires strategic leadership, institutional stability, and policy continuity.
Prof. Dr. Akhtar is currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, one of Pakistan’s leading public sector universities. He brings with him decades of experience in academic leadership, university governance, and higher education policy formulation.
Academic and Professional Background
Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Punjab. Over the years, he has built a distinguished career spanning teaching, research, administration, and national-level academic governance.
He has served as Vice Chancellor of several major public universities, including the University of the Punjab, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila, National Textile University (NTU), Faisalabad, and most recently, Quaid-i-Azam University. In addition, he has held important professional and regulatory roles, notably as Vice Chairman (Punjab) of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).
Contributions to Higher Education
Prof. Dr. Akhtar is widely recognised for his contributions to institutional development and quality assurance in higher education. He played a pioneering role in establishing and strengthening quality enhancement and academic governance frameworks at major universities. He has also authored and edited several scholarly works focusing on quality management, academic standards, and university governance.
Under his leadership, universities have witnessed improvements in statutory governance, research culture, international engagement, and institutional visibility. In recognition of his outstanding services to education and engineering, the Government of Pakistan awarded him the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
Leadership at HEC
As Chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar is expected to bring administrative stability, strategic clarity, and academic rigour to the commission. His extensive experience in managing complex academic institutions and shaping higher education policy positions him well to address key challenges, including research quality, faculty development, funding optimisation, and global competitiveness of Pakistani universities.
His appointment has been widely welcomed by academic and policy circles, who view it as a positive step toward strengthening the governance and long-term vision of Pakistan’s higher education system.
AMBREEN ADNAN
