Afzal Haque has received the prestigious International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI) Global Leadership Award 2026, becoming the only Pakistani to earn the international honour this year.
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According to Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Afzal Haque was among four global recipients recognised for outstanding contributions to engineering education, research, and international collaboration.
The other recipients included Michael E. Auer from Germany/Austria, Kostas Gouliamos from Greece/Cyprus, and Daniel Lai from Hong Kong, China.
Founded in 2015, the International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI) promotes global research and collaboration in science, engineering, and technology. Moreover, the institute received recognition in the United Nations Civil Society Database in 2022 and became a signatory to the UNESCO Jena Declaration in 2024.
Furthermore, IETI’s global network includes more than 5,000 members and honours distinguished scholars, including Nobel Prize, Turing Award, and Fields Medal laureates. The Global Leadership Award recognises exceptional leadership in academia, science, technology, and international cooperation.
In his acceptance remarks, Prof. Dr. Haque described the award as a collective achievement for Sir Syed University, the Pakistan Academy of Engineering, and Pakistan. He also said becoming the first Pakistani to receive the honour was deeply humbling and expressed hope that it would strengthen international academic collaboration.
Meanwhile, Prof. Gabriel XG Yue congratulated Prof. Haque on behalf of the IETI Governing Body and praised his contributions to engineering education and global cooperation. Additionally, Prof. Brig. Dr. Nasim Akhtar Khan, President of the Pakistan Academy of Engineering, and Prof. Dr. Shashi Kant Gupta also commended his achievement.
Earlier, Prof. Dr. Haque received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Sindh Governor Syed Nehal Hashmi through the Medical & Engineering Graduates Welfare Association of Sindh (MEGWAS). Additionally, the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) honoured him with another Lifetime Achievement Award.
A mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Manchester, Prof. Dr. Haque has served as vice chancellor at several leading Pakistani universities. He also led the establishment of the China-Pakistan International Institute of Artificial Intelligence, thereby strengthening academic cooperation between Pakistan and China in artificial intelligence.
