Prof Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has assumed the charge as the Acting Rector of the International Islamic University Islamabad.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the President of Pakistan and Chancellor IIUI, approved his appointment as the Acting Rector of IIUI. Ahmed, an esteemed academic leader, brings a wealth of experience in higher education to IIUI. Dr. Mukhtar’s interim leadership is expected to strengthen the university’s dedication to building an environment conducive to high-quality education and research.

Ahmed is the current Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). He has previously served as Chairman HEC from 2014 to 2018, Executive Director HEC from 2013 to 2014 and as Member (Operations and Planning) HEC from 2005 to 2011. He has also served as Executive Director at HEC. Dr. Mukhtar has also served as Deputy Director General, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) based in Rabat, Morocco, where he was responsible for Directorates of Education, Science, Culture and Communication, ICPSR, CPID (Planning and Strategic Division) and ISESCO Regional Centres.

With a Bachelors and Masters of Science from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Masters in Business Administration and PhD from 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. His distinguished career is enriched with diverse academic, research and administrative experience both in public and private sectors of higher education in Pakistan and abroad.

Ahmed has played a key role during the last two decades to formulate and implement reforms in the 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.