Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar (Sitara-i-Imtiaz) officially took charge as Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Friday at the HEC Secretariat in Islamabad, where he was received by Executive Director Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq and senior HEC officers.
With more than 35 years in higher education, research and institutional development, Dr. Niaz is the most senior Vice Chancellor in the country and brings a cumulative 16 years of leadership across six universities, including Quaid-i-Azam University, University of the Punjab, UET Taxila, National Textile University Faisalabad, University of Sahiwal and Information Technology University Lahore.
As HEC Chairman, he underscores the need to strengthen quality assurance and boost research output through global partnerships. His agenda also highlights promotion of industry-oriented academic programs and expanded faculty development to support Pakistan’s transition to a knowledge-based economy.
Dr. Niaz holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Leeds and has an extensive record of scholarly work, including peer-reviewed articles, four authored/edited books and supervision of 12 PhD students in Chemical Engineering and Total Quality Management. He served as Chief Editor of the Journal of Quality and Technology Management and the International Journal of Quality & Innovation from 2005 to 2017.
Institutions under his stewardship have seen notable gains in academic programming, research productivity, infrastructure expansion, digitalisation and international collaboration, accomplishments he intends to scale at the national level through the HEC.
Among his recognitions are the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the Pakistan Engineering Council Gold Medal and a Gold Medal from the NTU Board of Governors. The higher education community across Pakistan has welcomed the appointment, noting that his leadership arrives at a critical moment for the sector.
