KARACHI: Prof Dr Wasim Qazi, currently heading Karachi Metropolitan University (KMU), has been appointed as the 23rd vice chancellor of the University of Karachi for a term of four years.
According to a notification released on Saturday, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, being the controlling authority of the public sector universities across the province, has made the appointment with immediate effect, exercising powers vested under Section-13 (1) of University of Karachi Act, 1972, as amended by the Sindh Universities and Institutes Law (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Prof Qazi currently serves as the founding KMU vice chancellor. Previously, he held two terms as president/VC of Iqra University and also served as the vice chancellor of Saifee Burhani University.
He is a visiting professor at Roma Tre University, Italy, and Southwest Jiaotong University, China. He also served as member of the KU syndicate.
Prof Qazi did his masters from KU’s Philosophy Department in 1994-95 and acquired his PhD in 2002 from Hamdard University.
The permanent vice chancellor position at KU has been vacant since July 28 after completion of Prof Khalid Iraqi’s term as the university’s vice chancellor.
On Friday, the chief minister had interviewed the top three candidates shortlisted by the search committee. The two other candidates interviewed for the VC position were Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, vice chancellor of Government College University Hyderabad; and Prof Shafiqur Rehman, the incumbent registrar of Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.
The Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) said it would extend full support and cooperation to the new VC “in his efforts to bring positive and meaningful changes for the betterment of our alma mater”.
“We sincerely hope that all stakeholders will be taken on board in the decision-making process and that, through collective efforts, the glory and academic excellence of the University of Karachi will be restored and further strengthened,” said a Kuts statement.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026
