Dr Khattak assumes charge as VC University of Swabi

PESHAWAR: Dr Nasir Jamal Khattak has assumed charge as the vice-chancellor University of Swabi with the pledge to bring the university on a par with top international institutions.

Dr Nasir Jamal was appointed as vice-chancellor through a notification issued a couple of days ago. He was recommended for the university by the academic and search committee during the process, which was completed in December 2020.

The office fell vacant in July 2020 after the completion of tenure by former vice-chancellor Dr Imtiaz Ali Khan.

The academic and search committee had recommended a panel of three for the university with Dr Shahid Mahmood Baig on top of the list followed by Dr Nasir Jamal and thus the former was appointed as vice-chancellor.

But he refused to join the university leaving the government with the only choice to notify the appointment of the second most favourite candidate. It took at least 10 months for the government to issue the notification and finally, Dr Nasir Jamal was appointed recently. Dr Khattak has 30 years of teaching and research experience in the country and abroad. He has served in key, administrative and managerial positions in different universities.

He remained vice-chancellor of the Kohat University of Science and Technology for four years from 2010 to 2014. He serves as the dean of the faculty of arts and humanity, University of Peshawar. Dr Khattak has also served as chairman of the department of English and Applied Linguistics at the University of Peshawar for six years.

Hailing from the Takhte Nasrati area of Karak district, Dr Khattak got his early education from his native town. He did his PhD as a Fulbright Fellow and Postdoc as an invited lecturer from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the USA in 2001 and 2005, respectively.

He taught in the USA for over three years and worked with different universities and organisations in the country and abroad.

Three faculty members of the university earned their PhD from the USA under his research project with no expense to the government of Pakistan. He also helped another two more faculty members to earn foreign scholarships for their PhD.

Dr Khattak has the experience of working with national and international organisations. He was deputy chairman and member of the United States Educational Foundation Board (Fulbright Board) in Pakistan to which the federal government had appointed him.

The federal government also named him as chairman of the Council of Complaints at Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. He holds the position to date.