I am honored in taking over the charge
of the office of Vice Chancellor of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM). Keeping in view the extraordinary challenges faced by the university, it is a huge responsibility to shoulder. As the fallout of Covid-19 pandemic and resultant emergency measures have led to the closure of all campuses, and establishment of quarantine and isolation facilities at the Garden campus, it makes the task more challenging. However, I am optimistic that the university will soon come out of the temporary financial stress as I have seen strong resolve to support the university’s short and long-term plans during my meetings at the key offices of Federal and Provincial Governments. I am sure the staff and students of the university, being part of a resilient nation, will not only confront these challenges but they will also excel as they successfully did in the past, Insha Allah.
AWKUM, established in 2009, is the second-largest university of the province and stands 2nd in the last HEC ranking for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the recent past, HEC awarded and ranked it 1st in the province and 15th in the country for research awards under National Research Program for Universities. The university has 32 academic departments where 95 undergraduate and graduate programs are offered to 12000 students. Five of its campuses have been upgraded as independent universities i.e. Women University Mardan, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, University of Swabi, the University of Chitral, and University of Bunir. This unique and immense contribution of the university within such a short period is unparalleled in the country’s history. With a qualified faculty of 450 (including half being PhDs), qualified administration, and a vibrant community of 12000 students, the university has tremendous potential for further contribution and becoming a leading educational institution.
I have been serving AWKUM since October 2011 as Dean Faculty of Business and economics, Dean Faculty of Arts and Registrar in addition to many other positions. Working in these positions afforded me the opportunity to gain knowledge of the issues that the university faced. They, who worked with me, know that I am a strong believer in teamwork and expect that the senior and junior leadership of the university responsibly take control of their roles. I reiterate that I will ensure full support of my office in the implementation of their plans which envision the growth and prosperity of the university.
Strategies that are already developed by the senior leadership of the university will be implemented for the realization of university’s vision. The implementation of these strategies will ensure to make the past roller-coaster ride of the university as smooth as possible. Collectively we can transform AWKUM to become a great seat of learning with a conducive environment for students, faculty, and administration, with a view to create future leaders.
Finally, I am passionate about the success of AWKUM and I strongly believe in Allah سبحانه و تعالى will help me in performing my responsibilities with the utmost commitment towards this end. May the Almighty help us in this great journey. Amen.
