ISLAMABAD: Renowned scholar and distinguished academic leader Prof Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar (Sitara-i-Imtiaz) assumed the office of Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan on Friday.
Upon his arrival at the HEC Secretariat in Islamabad, he was received by Executive Director HEC Prof Dr Zia Ul Haq along with senior officers.
Dr Niaz brings over 35 years of experience in higher education, research and institutional development. He is regarded as the most senior vice chancellor in the country, with a cumulative 16 years of leadership experience across six major institutions, including Quaid-i-Azam University, University of the Punjab, UET Taxila, National Textile University Faisalabad, University of Sahiwal and Information Technology University Lahore.
He also served as Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) for three terms.
An internationally recognised scholar, Dr Niaz holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He has published several peer-reviewed research articles, authored and edited four books, and supervised 12 PhD scholars in Chemical Engineering and Total Quality Management.
He also served as Chief Editor of the Journal of Quality and Technology Management and the International Journal of Quality & Innovation from 2005 to 2017.
Under his leadership, various institutions witnessed major improvements in academic programmes, research output, infrastructure development, digitalisation and international collaboration.
In recognition of his contributions, Dr Niaz was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2015, PEC Gold Medal in 2017 and a Gold Medal by the NTU Board of Governors in 2015.
The new HEC chairman’s vision includes strengthening quality assurance, fostering research through global partnerships, promoting industry-oriented academic programmes and enhancing faculty development to advance Pakistan’s higher education sector towards a knowledge-based economy.
The higher education community across Pakistan has welcomed the appointment, calling it a timely decision at a critical juncture for the sector.