In a landmark recognition of knowledge leadership, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Medal of Honour at the 6th Vice Chancellors’ Forum of Universities in the Islamic World, held at Rabat, Morocco.
The prestigious award celebrates Prof. Iqbal’s visionary leadership in steering Pakistan toward a knowledge-based economy, underpinned by strategic investments in higher education, science, and innovation. It also acknowledges his role as a thought leader in the Islamic world—reviving a civilization-building ethos grounded in ethical inquiry, collaboration, and technological advancement.
Prof. Iqbal, speaking at the Ministerial Plenary under the theme “Reimagining Higher Education in Islamic Countries,” traced the roots of his journey to the legacy of one of the greatest intellectuals of the Muslim world: Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
?“My journey has been deeply inspired by the teachings and philosophy of Allama Iqbal,” Prof. Iqbal said. “His call for Khudi (selfhood), Ijtihad (creative reasoning), and building a future rooted in knowledge and dignity has shaped not just my personal identity but the entire vision I have tried to advance for Pakistan. Iqbal’s work should not be viewed as poetry of the past—but as a roadmap for our youth, a call to action for awakening the potential of the Muslim world.”
Prof. Iqbal enriched his remarks with powerful verses from Allama Muhammad Iqbal, urging the Islamic world to reclaim its lost spirit of inquiry, self-belief, and bold imagination. Quoting from Iqbal’s poem:
(“At the break of dawn, a voice echoes from the heavens:
How did you lose your essence of understanding?”)
?
(How did your scalpel of inquiry grow so blunt?
Why do the stars no longer split under your gaze?)
This lifelong connection to Allama Iqbal’s thought has informed Prof. Iqbal’s efforts to position education and innovation at the heart of national transformation.
Under his stewardship, Pakistan has witnessed an unprecedented transformation in its higher education landscape:
• Public universities expanded from 99 in 2013 to 154 by 2025
• Higher education enrolment rose from 1.1 million to 1.65 million students
• Faculty strength increased from 27,633 to over 38,000
Special emphasis was placed on inclusivity and equitable access, particularly in underserved regions such as Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, with deliberate efforts to promote gender equity and minority inclusion.
Key initiatives include:
• Thousands of overseas PhD scholarships in science and technology
• Establishment of the Pakistan-U.S. Knowledge Corridor
• Creation of National Centres of Excellence in AI, Cybersecurity, Genomics, Robotics, Big Data, and Space Sciences
These efforts culminated in the launch of Quantum Valley Pakistan, a deep-tech ecosystem modeled after Silicon Valley, alongside national centres in Nanotechnology, Advanced Manufacturing, and Quantum Computing. A National Venture Capital Fund now supports the commercialization of research and high-tech entrepreneurship.
At the core of these reforms is a Seven-Pillar Higher Education Reform Framework that drives Pakistan’s innovation agenda:
1. Modern curricula and pedagogy
2. Research grants and commercialization
3. Industry-academia linkages
4. Technological infrastructure and AI tools
5. Performance-based governance
6. Community engagement for local solutions
7. Graduate employability and skills development
Prof. Iqbal passionately argued that the Islamic world needs to revive its intellectual and scientific legacy, urging nations to re-embrace the Qur’anic command “Iqra (Read)” as a call to lifelong learning and creative thought:
?“Bricks and mortar do not build civilizations—ideas do. In today’s fast-changing world, innovation is the new currency of survival and success. Our future will not be written by our natural resources, but by our intellectual capital and ability to solve problems.”
At the Forum, Prof. Iqbal presented a bold vision for pan-Islamic cooperation under ICESCO:
• An ICESCO Knowledge Alliance of Universities offering joint degrees and dual PhDs
• An Islamic Grand Challenges Fund supporting research in climate, energy, water, health, and food security
• A Digital Education Transformation Initiative delivering MOOCs, open-access libraries, and multilingual platforms
• ICESCO Centres of Excellence in AI, Islamic Finance, Conflict Studies, and Climate Tech
• A Youth Research Mobility & Leadership Programme with fellowships, mentorship, and a Young Scholars Council.
This honour follows Prof. Iqbal’s recent recognition by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in Kuala Lumpur, where he was named among five Asian leaders championing innovation-led, inclusive development.
The 6th Vice Chancellors Forum of Islamic Universities's official citation hailed him as:
?“A true architect of Pakistan’s resilient, knowledge-powered future… a rare blend of vision, planning discipline, and reformist courage.
Prof. Iqbal’s leadership exemplifies a rare synthesis: the foresight of a visionary, the discipline of a planner, the courage of a reformer, and the conviction of an educator who believes in the transformative power of knowledge.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to higher education, science and technology, and innovation-driven public policy, the 6th ICESCO Vice Chancellors Forum proudly presents this Lifetime Achievement Medal of Honor to Prof. Ahsan Iqbal—a true architect of Pakistan’s resilient, knowledge-powered future.”
Prof. Iqbal expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for their unwavering support in institutionalizing the knowledge economy agenda. He dedicated the award to the youth, scholars, and educators of Pakistan, emphasizing that:
?“This recognition belongs to every young mind who dares to dream, every teacher who lights the way, and every institution that believes in the power of transformation. Let Allama Iqbal’s vision of a self-reliant, enlightened Muslim society be the compass that guides our collective future.”
This milestone underscores Pakistan’s rising influence in the global education and innovation ecosystem, reaffirming the country’s commitment to shaping a more just, prosperous, and knowledge-driven Islamic world.
