Training key to facing challenges, says educationist

PESHAWAR: Vice-Chancellor Abbottabad University of Science and Technology Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, one of the four recipients of the prestigious civil awards from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has urged academia to get training to face present-day challenges.

“It is the need of the hour that leaders of universities and Higher Education Commission must be trained properly to cope with the complexities of the present-day higher education,” he told The News.

Dr Iftikhar Ahmad said he was proud to be an academician serving the greater cause of education. Decorating him with the prestigious award was recognition of his services in the field of education and research, he added

In the present scenario, he said, it was imperative to raise the quality of higher education to bring it on a par with the US in the next five to 10 years.

“My mission is to improve the process of the dissemination of knowledge by changing the thinking of the higher education community from the old annual cramming (rote learning) system to effective semester system as per its requirements so that the coming generations can play an active role in the knowledge-based economies of the country and the world,” he argued.

He said that during his 23-year service he made efforts to strengthen academics, introduced MPhil and PhD programmes, organised international workshops on materials modelling and simulations and conference on materials science and engineering.

Dr Iftikhar Ahmad was decorated with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz on March 23 at the Governor’s House, Peshawar in recognition of his services in the field of education and research.

Born on December 22, 1969 and raised in the scenic Matta village in Swat, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad is the youngest of eight siblings. He received education up to F Sc in Matta, B Sc from Jahanzeb College, Saidu Sharif, M Sc Physics from University of Peshawar, M Phil Solid State Physics from Centre for Solid State Physics, University of the Punjab, and PhD from the University of Idaho, US. Like Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, his brothers and sisters are also playing a key role in their respective spheres, especially Prof Dr Habib Ahmad, the vice chancellor, Islamia College University, Peshawar who also received Tamgha-i-Imtiaz and Prof Dr Rashid Ahmad, the dean of sciences, University of Malakand.

A PhD in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Idaho (USA), he is the winner of the PAS (2015) Gold Medal in Physics and recipient of consecutive RPA awards in category A, B and C every year since 2011, receiver of Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Idaho (USA) and HEC Best Teacher Award in 2010. Dr Iftikhar Ahmad has published more than 150 research articles in the world’s leading peered review journals with accumulative impact factor of more than 350. This makes him one of the leading scientists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He has established the emerging field of research of modelling and simulations in Pakistan and also the most efficient supercomputer in the country at the University of Malakand and produced 17 PhDs. After attaining educational training in US universities, he proved his leadership skills in Pakistan, first as chairman of the Department of Physics in Hazara University and Malakand University.