Islamabad: The President of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Prof. Dr. Ahmed Saad Alahmed, led a briefing today to evaluate the strategic direction and accomplishments of the university’s International Office. The session underscored enhanced efforts to foster international collaborations, optimize services for foreign faculty and students, and expedite new agreements with overseas institutions.
The meeting, held in the President’s office, included senior officials from the International Office and related administrative departments. Key participants were Mr. Ayaz Ali, Incharge of the International Office; Dr. Asad Ullah, Incharge of the Foreign Faculty Office and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Shariah and Law; Mr. Muhammad Ilyas Soomro, Superintendent of Protocol and Public Relations, handling visa facilitation; and Mr. Najib Ahmad, Senior Composer. The briefing featured insights into the office’s operational framework, primary functions, and recent achievements in managing international exchanges and foreign personnel matters.
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Saad Alahmed emphasized the necessity of a responsive and coordinated international office to expand the university’s global presence. He stated that the aim is to streamline processes for visiting faculty and students, enhance support for incoming delegations, and pursue strategic partnerships to boost research, teaching, and cultural exchanges. The briefing outlined the practical measures planned to achieve these objectives.
Participants discussed ongoing initiatives to improve services for foreign academics and students, such as expedited visa support, streamlined onboarding procedures, and enhanced campus orientation programs. The International Office reported progress in facilitating delegations and institutional connections and shared a pipeline of proposed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) focused on collaborative research, joint degree programs, and mobility schemes. Operational improvements were also presented to better coordinate cross-campus engagement and ensure timely support for visiting scholars.
The session concluded with an action plan to implement process improvements and monitor outcomes. Immediate priorities include refining visa facilitation protocols in collaboration with the Protocol and Public Relations unit, expanding orientation and welfare support for international students, and fast-tracking negotiations on selected MoUs. The university also committed to increasing communication and reporting from the International Office to ensure alignment with IIUI’s strategic goals.