Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday appointed Prof Dr Hazir Ullah of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad as the new vice chancellor of the University of Chitral for four years.
![\"Prof](\"https://chitraltoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/VC-254x350.avif\")
Dr Hazir Ullah is not an average chalk-dusted professor – he is an academic wrecking ball with a résumé so stacked it could send entire university boards into a panic attack.
Currently, the Director of the School of Sociology at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Dr Hazir Ullah has worn more hats in academia than a graduation ceremony.
He has previously led both the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC) and the Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) at QAU – two of the most powerful engines driving university rankings and research prestige.
But his power moves go back even further. Before QAU, he ruled the corridors of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) where he served as Deputy Dean of Social Sciences and Chairman of the Sociology Department from 2008 to 2019.
That is in addition to stints inside Islamabad’s federal bureaucracies, including the ministries of education and social welfare, where he dealt with the nuts and bolts of national policy.
Armed with a PhD and a postdoc in sociology and a laser focus on education, gender, and class power structures, Dr Hazir Ullah boasts academic credentials from the University of Birmingham, Quaid-i-Azam University and the University of Peshawar.
But don’t mistake him for just a paper pusher. He is a research machine with over 48 peer-reviewed publications in heavy-hitting journals like Education Studies and the Asia Pacific Journal of Education.
He has also authored two books, supervised seven PhDs and more than 30 MPhil/MS students, and racked up over 1,000 citations – plus a rock-solid h-index of 19 and an i10-index of 28 – meaning the man’s work gets read, quoted, and debated a lot.
His research doesn’t just sit on shelves – it hits hard on topics like gender gaps in mass media, class and curriculum politics, and how education keeps old power structures alive.
Dr Hazir Ullah’s work has earned him international recognition and fellowships, including with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and academic institutions in the UK and Spain.
His most recent projects, including gender-equality initiatives on university campuses funded by the British Council, have been turning heads from Islamabad to Gloucestershire in South West England.
The appointment is part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led (PTI) provincial government’s push to inject new blood into its higher education leadership with a clear message: Chitral is not just for mountain views anymore.
With Dr Hazir Ullah at the helm, the University of Chitral is expected to become a hub for serious scholarship, progressive reform, and some well-needed disruption.
Buckle up, University of Chitral, the vice chancellor is in, and he is bringing brains, bravado, and a bulldozer for the status quo.
I would like to draw the attention of the newly appointed Vice Chancellor Dr Hazir Ullah to some serious issues that have affected the University of Chitral since its inception.
One of the major problems is internal politics – particularly the division between local teachers and those from outside. This division has created an unhealthy environment and must end if we want the university to grow into a strong and respected institution.
Another critical issue is the lack of merit-based hiring. As rightly said by the author, most of the teaching staff are “chalk-dusted” professors – meaning they are average or below average in quality, often appointed without proper qualifications. Political influence in appointments must be stopped to ensure quality education.
Political interference in the overall functioning of the university is also a serious concern and should be eliminated. In addition, there must be strict monitoring of MPhil and master’s programmes to prevent unfair practices, such as teachers favouring friends or relatives.
In many new universities, it is unfortunately common for individuals to misuse their positions to obtain MPhil or master’s degrees through favoritism. Sadly, the University of Chitral is no exception. It is vital that the new VC takes strong steps to uphold transparency, merit, and academic integrity moving forward.