In a splendid event held on Wednesday, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) orchestrated a grand ceremony to bestow the prestigious Best University Teacher Awards for the year 2022 upon distinguished faculty members hailing from various Pakistani universities, categorized into Life Sciences & Medicine; Physical Sciences & Engineering; and Social Sciences & Humanities.
Marking an annual tradition, the Best University Teacher Award program orchestrated by HEC stands as a beacon to acknowledge and uplift exemplary university educators, while concurrently inspiring the academic community to refine their instructional and mentorship prowess.
The recipients of the esteemed 2022 Best University Teacher Awards were unveiled as Dr. Syeda Salma Hassan from Government College University, Lahore; Dr. Kamran Khalid from Fatimah Jinnah Medical University, Lahore; and Rafia Mumtaz from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). These recipients emerged triumphant in the categories of Social Sciences & Humanities; Life Sciences and Medicine; and Physical Sciences and Engineering, respectively.
Guiding the ceremony with utmost dignity, Chairman HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, led the proceedings. Noteworthy attendees included Executive Director HEC, Dr. Shaista Sohail; Academic Advisor Engr. Muhammad Raza Chohan; Vice Chancellors representing various universities; devoted faculty members; and a spirited crowd of students.
Aside from the Best University Teacher Awards, a highlight of the event encompassed the distribution of cash rewards and certificates to the champions of the Inter-University Essay Writing Competition.
During his address, Chairman HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, profoundly characterized teaching as a sacred calling, urging educators to ardently fulfill their duties and responsibilities. He placed emphasis on nurturing the youth alongside providing education, underlining his contentment with the significant representation of female faculty and students in HEC initiatives. The inclusion of candidates from remote areas in these initiatives was highlighted as a testament to the evolving inclusivity of the nation’s education sphere.
Dr. Ahmed underscored the commemoration of Pakistan’s 75th anniversary with an Essay Writing Competition, offering insight into the aspirations of the youth. He expressed pride in the lofty dreams held by the country’s youth and expressed optimism that Pakistan’s future would be illuminated by their sincere endeavors.
Dr. Shaista Sohail, Executive Director HEC, extended a warm welcome and emphasized the pivotal role of educators in shaping the nation’s youth and their character. She encouraged privileged students studying in esteemed higher education institutions to earnestly dedicate themselves to their respective domains, thereby preparing for their roles in Pakistan’s socio-economic progress.
Engr. Muhammad Raza Chohan, the Academic Advisor, provided an overview of the Best University Teacher Award initiative and illuminated the meticulous selection process. From an initial pool of 51 nominations, expert committees played a pivotal role in determining the ultimate victors. He celebrated the dual aspects of excellence in imparting knowledge and acquiring it, underlining the celebration’s essence.
The Best University Teacher awardees were each bestowed with a cash prize of Rs. 1 million. Similarly, the Inter-University Essay Writing Competition rewarded winners with cash prizes of Rs. 500,000 for the first place, Rs. 300,000 for the second, Rs. 200,000 for the third, and Rs. 100,000 for those securing the fourth to tenth positions in both Urdu and English categories.
The esteemed winners in the Urdu category of the Essay Writing Competition were Talha Ijlal from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Saifullah from the International Islamic University, and Lubna Maryam from the University of Gilgit-Baltistan.
In the English category, the top positions were clinched by Syed Haris Nawaz from Abdul Wali Khan University, Muhammad Wajid from the National University of Modern Languages, and Nimra Arooj from the National University of Medical Sciences.
