Sitara-e-Imtiaz Star of Excellence	Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali Sitare-e-Imtiaz Ph.D (Archaeology) Vice Chancellor Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan

His Excellency, Governor, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  Engr. Shaukatullah Khan  on Saturday 23rd March, 2013 gave away the Civil Award "Sitara-e-Imtiaz" on behalf of the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Professor. Dr. Ihsan Ali, Vice-Chancellor Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan for rendering invaluable services and for his contributions in the field of Archaeology.     

The awards-giving ceremony was held at the Governor’s House. Peshawar.
Chief Secretary, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Ghulam Dastagir Akhtar read out the citations of the Award Winners on the occasion.

Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali has done his Master in Archaeology from Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar. He not only stood first and got gold medal but no one tilldate has scored marks more than he obtained in his Master Degree. He was awarded MS degree and his theses were Analytical Techniques in Archaeology. He also has the credit that he was awarded PhD scholarship and he completed his PhD from University of Cambridge UK which one of the most prestigious Universities of the world. From 2002 to 2006,he was appointed as Director Archaeology and Museums, Govt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and he has been able to establish nine museums during this period. He has been invited by the Leading Universities of UK, America and Italy for delivering lectures on Archaeology in Pakistan and has won a good name for his Country Pakistan. He has published seventeen books and he has also published more than sixty research Papers in the National and International Journals of world repute. He remained on key positions and has held important portfolios. He was appointed Vice-Chancellor, Hazara University Mansehra in 2006and in 2008 he was appointed as Project Director of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan and was entrusted with the task of establishing of AWKUM as well as keeping his portfolio of Vice Chancellor, Hazara University Mansehra. In 2009he was appointed as Vice-Chancellor, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan. Currently once again he has been entrusted the additional responsibility of Acting Vice-Chancellor of Islamia College University Peshawar and at the moment he is administering both AWKUM and Islamia College University Peshawar.

No doubt, he is a trend setter personality and within a short span of less than four years he has been able to make AWKUM a great seat of learning. His untiring efforts have not only made the university a success but expanded it throughout the province by establishing Nine Campuses where almost 6000 students are currently studying. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has recently ranked Abdul Wali Khan University 34th out of the 111 total Public Sector Universities in the country.