Engr Muhammad Asghar

Muhammad Asghar was appointed Rector of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in 2007.  He has led organization of the Pakistan Chapter of the Talloires Network, launched at a national conference that he hosted at NUST in 2013.  He is Chair of the Pakistan Chapter and NUST serves as its Secretariat. A large number of Pakistani universities – 47 are members of TN.  During his Rectorship, NUST has grown substantially in quality and student enrollment, emphasizing research, innovation, entrepreneurship, industry and international linkages, social initiatives and infrastructure development.  Engr Asghar received a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and did graduate work in Pakistan and the U.S.  He was commissioned in the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers in 1972, and retired from the Army as a Lieutenant. General. He has served on the faculty of a number of institutions including Military College of Engineering, Risalpur, Command and Staff College, Quetta and National Defence University, Islamabad. Rector Asghar attended the 2011 TN Conference in Madrid.

Pakistan government has recently recognized his contributions towards higher education and the outstanding performance of his university by awarding him “Hilal-e-Imtiaz”, the second highest civil award of Pakistan.

Defining civic engagement as a strategic priority, NUST now requires all undergraduates to take a course in community service learning.  NUST served as the lead Pakistani university in the U.S. – Pakistan university civic engagement exchange and training program of five Pakistani and five U.S. universities operated by Innovations in Civic Participation. NUST has now struck an agreement with Rural Support Programme Network of Pakistan to train its students through internships and also develop a compendium of case studies in Civic Engagement and Community Service. NUST plans to engage US universities for academic support in this connection.