Dr Mukhtar Ahmed assumed the charge of Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan on Monday. He has previously served as Chairman of HEC from 2014 to 2018, Executive Director of HEC from 2013 to 2014 and as Member (Operations and Planning) of HEC from 2005 to 2011.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has played a key role during the last two decades to formulate and implement reforms in higher education, be it increase in access to university education, strengthening quality assurance systems, convincing federal and provincial governments to raise funding for higher education, developing universities’ infrastructure, promoting national and international collaborations of faculty, researchers and universities, steps to stop and discourage illegal practices in the higher education sector, and a number of other initiatives.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has also served as Deputy Director General, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) based in Rabat, Morocco, where he was responsible for Directorates of Education, Science, Culture and Communication, ICPSR, CPID (Planning and Strategic Division) and ISESCO Regional Centers.
With a Bachelors and Masters of Science from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) and Masters in Business Administration and PhD from University of California, Riverside (UCR) USA, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed has over three decades of educational development and management experience at national and international level that includes teaching, research, administration, policy development, linking educational research to industry / commercialization, introducing entrepreneurial approaches to education and a diverse range of educational development programs. His distinguished career is enriched with diverse academic, research and administrative experience both in public and private sectors of higher education in Pakistan and abroad.
