Staff reporter
ISLAMABAD
A formal closing ceremony was held today at the Margala Hotel Islamabad , marking the successful completion of a month-long certified training program on Governance and Leadership for academic leaders and university management across Pakistan.
The training was a collaborative effort between Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), the British Council, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, and Institute of Management Sciences,(IMSciences) Peshawar, aimed at building leadership capacity and promoting governance excellence in the higher education sector.
The program blended online learning with an in-person component in its final week, engaging participants in critical areas such as strategic planning, academic governance, institutional effectiveness, quality assurance, and inclusive leadership.
During the closing ceremony, Mr. Riaz Ahmad, Project Coordinator, Higher Education Development Program (HEDP) at HEC, congratulated the participants and underscored the significance of investing in leadership development to drive institutional transformation.
Ms. Maarya Rehman, Deputy Director, British Council Pakistan, emphasized the importance of international partnerships in strengthening education systems and lauded the participants’ dedication throughout the program.
From Edinburgh Napier University, Dr. Fawad Khaleel, Head of Global Online, and Professor Nathalia Tjandra, Associate Dean of Internationalisation, joined the ceremony and expressed pride in the productive collaboration. They noted the high level of engagement and the program’s contribution to building global academic networks and fostering impactful leadership.
Special recognition was given to Dr. Shafiullah Jan, Project Head from IMSciences, for his instrumental role in leading the program’s local implementation. His dedicated efforts, along with those of his entire coordination team, were applauded for ensuring the seamless execution of the month-long training and successful in-person sessions.
Participants from universities across Pakistan were awarded certificates of achievement by Edinburgh Napier University in recognition of their successful completion of the training.
The ceremony concluded with a reaffirmation of the partners’ commitment to advancing quality, governance, and visionary leadership in Pakistan’s higher education landscape.
