The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan officially announced and presented 7 distinguished academics with the esteemed HEC Best University Teacher Award 2025 (BUTA). These faculty members were honored at a prestigious event held at the Islamabad Secretariat of HEC for their outstanding contribution and services in the field of University Level Teaching, Advanced Research and Moulding of Students.
Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Chairman HEC, was the chief guest of the ceremony, where he presented the awards. This annual award program was launched to improve the pedagogical environment of Pakistan, and it is competitive with nominations made by public and private sector universities, recognizing individuals who display a high level of commitment to teaching and learning excellence and innovative pedagogical approaches.
Award Privileges and Evaluation Metrics
The Higher Education Commission conducts a strict and transparent selection process with an evaluation framework. Nominations are judged on a range of indicators of performance, such as student evaluation feedback; innovative teaching approaches; student curriculum design; post-graduate research supervision; and high impact journal publications, by an independent committee.
The 7 national award winners were presented with a formal certificate of merit in addition to a good amount of cash prize of PKR 1.0 Million (10 Lakh).
National Recognition: The award holders are considered as standard bearers of their education clusters and become standard setters in higher education in Pakistan.
HEC Best University Teacher Award 2025 Winners: Complete List
| Sr. No. | Faculty Member Name | University Name | Specified Academic Category |
| 1 | Dr. Nadia Nawaz | COMSATS University Islamabad (Wah Campus) | Engineering, Manufacturing, & Construction |
| 2 | Dr. Rashid Jaleel | University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore | Natural Sciences, Mathematics, & Statistics |
| 3 | Dr. Irfan Bashir | University of Management & Technology (UMT) Lahore | Education |
| 4 | Dr. Abrar Ashraf Ali | King Edward Medical University (KEMU) Lahore | Health & Welfare |
| 5 | Dr. Owais Mufti | Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences) Peshawar | Business, Administration, & Law |
| 6 | Dr. Ahsan ul Haq | Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) | Social Sciences, Journalism, & Information |
| 7 | Dr. Rao Zahid | University of Agriculture (UAF) Faisalabad | Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, & Veterinary |
Address by HEC Leadership
Chairman HEC Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar highlighted that the award is not only a token of appreciation but a representation of utmost commitment towards the profession of teaching at the distribution ceremony. He asked the professors in the universities to be functional role models, so as to make the young people equipped with the latest technology, which would enable them to solve the problems at home and abroad.
Adding to the address, Executive Director HEC Prof. Dr. Zia-ul-Haq highlighted that since the inception of the BUTA framework in 2003, the project has served as an essential pillar in inspiring healthy academic competition, driving faculty performance, and upgrading overall classroom environments in local universities.
