BY: Hurish Shah
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has officially inducted renowned business leader and CEO of SAAF International, Mrs. Sobia Aqeel, as a Global Scholars Network (GSN) Standard Fellow. Her profile has also been published on the newly launched HEC Global Scholars Network (GSN) platform, where she is listed as a verified fellow representing Pakistan.
The HEC’s Global Scholars Network is a newly established platform designed to connect Pakistani universities with distinguished global experts, academics, researchers, and industry professionals. The initiative aims to promote research collaboration, guest lectures, academic capacity building, innovation, and stronger partnerships between academia and industry.
According to HEC, the network serves as a bridge between international expertise and Pakistan’s higher education institutions, enabling universities to benefit from the knowledge and practical experience of leading professionals worldwide.
Mrs. Sobia Aqeel brings more than two decades of experience in international trade, strategic innovation, entrepreneurship, textile manufacturing, and women’s economic empowerment. As the Chief Executive Officer of SAAF International, she has played a significant role in advancing business development, industrial collaboration, and policy engagement.
Her appointment as a GSN Standard Fellow reflects HEC’s commitment to integrating industry expertise into higher education. In her new role, she is expected to contribute to curriculum development, collaborative research, faculty engagement, startup ecosystem development, mentoring, and capacity-building initiatives, helping align Pakistan’s academic institutions with the demands of the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions.
Mrs. Aqeel has also served on the Executive Committee of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) and has contributed to various national policy and economic development forums. Her work in promoting women’s entrepreneurship, SME development, and public-private partnerships has earned recognition both nationally and internationally.
The newly launched HEC Global Scholars Network currently connects hundreds of verified experts from around the world with Pakistani universities, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, innovation, and sustainable academic development.
The induction of Mrs. Sobia Aqeel as a GSN Standard Fellow marks another important milestone in HEC’s efforts to strengthen industry-academia linkages and enhance Pakistan’s higher education ecosystem through global collaboration.
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