HEC Chairman Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar Reaffirms Support for KP Universities at VC Meeting and Research Excellence Awards in Peshawar

Chairman Higher Education Commission Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar attended the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Vice Chancellors & Rectors Joint Meeting and Research Excellence Award Ceremony at Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, as Guest of Honour.The event was held in the presence of Mr. Meena Khan Afridi as Chief Guest and hosted by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq. The high-level gathering brought together Vice Chancellors and Rectors from across KP to deliberate on strengthening quality education, research excellence, and institutional performance.During the ceremony, leading researchers were recognized for their contributions, including scientists ranked among the world’s top 2% and awardees of the National Research Program for Universities. The awards highlighted the growing research footprint of KP institutions on both national and global levels.Addressing the participants, Dr. Akhtar reaffirmed the Higher Education Commission’s continued support for advancing academic excellence and research capacity in KP universities. He emphasized the need for collaborative frameworks, faculty development, and impactful research to address national challenges.Vice Chancellors appreciated HEC’s role in facilitating grants, policy support, and quality assurance, and pledged to further align their institutions with HEC’s vision for a knowledge-based economy.