KARACHI – Professor Dr Wasim Qazi has been named Vice Chancellor of University of Karachi for four-year term after approval from Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
The formal notification of his appointment has also been issued by the Sindh Universities and Boards Department, according to reports. Dr Qazi emerged as the leading candidate after the search committee constituted for the appointment awarded him 86 marks, placing him ahead of two other shortlisted candidates.
Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of Government College University Hyderabad, secured 74 marks, while Dr Shafiq ur Rehman, Registrar of Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, received 71 marks. The three candidates were subsequently interviewed by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on October 2, 2026, before the final appointment was approved.
Dr Qazi takes over at a crucial time for the University of Karachi, where the Vice Chancellor’s office had remained vacant since July 28, 2026, following the completion of the second term of Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi. During the interim period, Professor Dr Muhammad Tufail Jokhio, Vice Chancellor of NED University, was assigned additional charge.
Who is Dr Wasim Qazi?
With more than 3 decades of experience in higher education, Dr Wasim Qazi comes to Karachi University after holding senior academic and administrative positions at several Pakistani universities. Before his appointment, he served as the Founding Vice Chancellor of Karachi Metropolitan University, a position he had held since approximately 2024.
He also served twice as President/Vice Chancellor of Iqra University, approximately between 2017 and 2023. His earlier positions include Vice Chancellor of Saifee Burhani University, Executive Director/Vice President at Iqra University from 2004 to 2017, Advisor to the Rector at the University of Lahore, and Special Assistant to the Chancellor/VC at Hamdard University during the 1990s.
He has also been associated with the establishment and development of several higher education institutions, including Hamdard University, University of Lahore, University of Faisalabad, Iqra University and Saifee Burhani University.
Dr Qazi holds a PhD in Educational Administration, awarded by Hamdard University in 2002. He earned an MA in Philosophy from the University of Karachi in 1994–95. His academic exposure also includes postdoctoral and visiting-scholar work at institutions including Eastern Kentucky University in the United States, Australian Catholic University and Western Michigan University.
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His international academic affiliations have included visiting professorships at Roma Tre University in Italy, Southwest Jiaotong University in China and Eastern Kentucky University in the United States.
Dr Qazi’s profile also highlights a substantial record in research and academic publishing. He is credited with more than 3,000 citations and an H-index above 25, with research and publications covering Management Sciences, Education and Social Sciences. He has also served as editor of the Journal of Management Sciences (JMS) and the Journal of Education and Social Sciences (JESS).
One of the key points of his professional record is his involvement in university faculty development. Teacher-training initiatives associated with him have been conducted in collaboration with organizations including the World Bank, USAID, the European Commission and Advance HE UK. The programmes are reported to have trained more than 20,000 teachers.
Dr Qazi’s administrative record also includes efforts to integrate technology into university operations and teaching through systems such as Blackboard, SAP and learning management systems (LMS). His work has included the development of Offices of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORICs), Business Incubation Centers and academia-industry linkages.
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