Islamabad: The National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE), Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, held the closing ceremony of the National Faculty Development Programme (NFDP) Cohort-IX for Interim Placement of Fresh PhDs (IPFP) Fellows at the HEC Secretariat, Islamabad, on July 31, 2026.
The ceremony marked the successful completion of the three-week professional development programme for the IPFP Fellows.
Chairman HEC Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar attended the ceremony as the chief guest and awarded certificates to the participants in recognition of their successful completion of the programme.
In his address, the HEC chairman congratulated the IPFP Fellows and encouraged them to pursue academic excellence with professionalism, integrity and a lifelong commitment to learning.
He said Pakistan’s higher education institutions needed competent, innovative and ethically grounded faculty members who could inspire students, advance high-quality research and contribute meaningfully to the country’s socio-economic development.
Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar also underlined the need to further strengthen and transform the IPFP initiative into a sustainable model with greater emphasis on entrepreneurship.
Reaffirming the significance of the teaching profession, he described it as one of the noblest callings and urged the fellows to uphold the highest standards of academic and professional excellence throughout their careers.
Earlier, in her welcome remarks, NAHE Managing Director Dr. Noor Amna Malik congratulated the fellows on completing the training programme. She urged them to translate the knowledge, innovative teaching methodologies and professional competencies acquired during the programme into effective classroom practice and academic excellence.
Dr. Noor Amna Malik reaffirmed NAHE’s commitment to equipping future faculty members with the knowledge, skills and competencies required to meet the evolving demands of higher education through high-quality professional development initiatives.
During the ceremony, NAHE Director Dr. Muneer Ahmed administered the professional oath to the IPFP Fellows. The oath reaffirmed their commitment to academic integrity, ethical conduct, excellence in teaching and research, lifelong learning and dedicated service to advancing Pakistan’s higher education sector.
