Dr. Zia Ul Haq Appointed New Executive Director of HEC Youngest VC Turned National Reformer Set to Transform Higher Education

Dr. Zia Ul Haq has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, a decision approved on 18 November 2025 by HEC’s ad-hoc administration in the absence of a permanent Chairman. Currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of Khyber Medical University (KMU), he was selected for a four-year term after consideration of four candidates, including Dr. Qaiser Abbas of the University of Sargodha, Dr. Zahid Khand of Aror University, and Dr. Shahid Baig of the Pakistan Science Foundation. His appointment comes at a crucial time, as the ED position had remained vacant and controversial due to court cases and administrative disputes since the removal of former ED Dr. Zia Ul Qayyum in May 2025. Dr. Zia, a renowned public health expert and recipient of the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is widely known for his exceptional academic background and transformative leadership. He holds an MBBS from Khyber Medical College, an MPH from Gandhara University, a PhD in Public Health from the University of Glasgow, and a post-doctoral fellowship from Keele University in the UK, along with FCPS (Community Medicine) and FFPH credentials from the Royal College of Physicians. His career includes major contributions at KMU, where he began as the first lecturer of public health in 2009 and later became the youngest Vice Chancellor in Pakistan at the age of 40. Under his leadership, KMU expanded from 1 to 18 campuses, achieved 50–100% financial self-sufficiency, introduced paperless systems, modern HR policies, market-based salaries, and third-party recruitment, and strengthened institutional transparency. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he established KP’s largest Public Health Reference Lab, capable of 6000 PCR tests daily, and played a key role in developing the province’s first health policy. His research portfolio includes over 80 publications, more than 2600 citations, an h-index above 26, and billions of rupees in international grants from WHO, GIZ, WFP, and NIHR. He has received numerous awards, including the HEC Best University Teacher Award, Best Researcher Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Glasgow’s “World Changing Alumni” recognition, and several distinctions at KMU. He also serves as President of the Pakistan Network of Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Convenor of the KP Chief Minister’s Higher Education Task Force. Dr. Zia’s extensive contributions in public health education, institutional reforms, financial strengthening, and pandemic management have positioned him as a transformative figure, and his appointment as HEC Executive Director is expected to bring significant improvements in higher education quality, regulatory governance, and national academic advancement.