The Establishment Division officially issued a notification on Wednesday regarding the reappointment of Dr Mukhtar Ahmed as the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), following approval from the Prime Minister.
According to the notification, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has been reappointed as the Chairman of HEC for a term of one year.
The notification specifies that Dr Mukhtar Ahmed’s one-year tenure will commence on July 30, 2024.
Earlier, the names of prominent educationist figures in the country, Dr Samreen Hussain and Dr Sarosh Lodhi were being considered for the position of acting chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Dr Sarosh Lodi is serving as the Vice-Chancellor of NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi, while Dr Samreen Hussain is the Vice-Chancellor of Dawood University of Engineering and Technology.
Profile of Dr Mukhtar Ahmed
He has previously served as Chairman of HEC from August 1, 2022, to 2024, and from 2014 to 2018. He also served as Executive Director of HEC from 2013 to 2014 and as Member (Operations and Planning) of HEC from 2005 to 2011.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has played a key role during the last two decades to formulate and implement reforms in higher education, be it increase in the access to university education, strengthening quality assurance systems, convincing federal and provincial governments to raise funding for higher education, development of universities' infrastructure, promoting national and international collaborations of faculty, researchers, and universities, steps to stop and discourage illegal practices in the higher education sector, and a number of other initiatives.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed has also served as Deputy Director General, Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) based in Rabat, Morocco, where he was responsible for the Directorates of Education, Science, Culture, and Communication, ICPSR, CPID (Planning and Strategic Division), and ISESCO Regional Centres.
With a Bachelor and Master of Science from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and a Master in Business Administration and PhD from the University of California, Riverside, USA, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has over three decades of educational development and management experience at national and international level that includes teaching, research, administration, policy development, linking educational research to industry/commercialization, introducing entrepreneurial approaches to education and a diverse range of educational development programmes.
Higher Education Commission (HEC)
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is a statutory body formed by the federal government that was established in 2002 under the chairmanship of Atta-ur-Rahman.
Its main functions are funding, overseeing, regulating, and accrediting the higher education institutions in the country.
Atta-ur-Rahman from October 2002 to October 2008; Javaid Laghari from August 2009 to August 2013; Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani (acting chairman) from November 2013 to April 2014; Mukhtar Ahmed from April 2014 to April 2018, Tariq Banuri from May 2018 to May 2022; and Mukhtar Ahmed from August 1, 2022 to August 1, 2024.
Reporter: Babar Shehzad