S. M. Junaid Zaidi

Syed Muhammed Junaid Zaidi (Urdu: سید محمد جنید زیدی ); known as S. M. Junaid Zaidi (born 19 July 1949) is a Pakistani scientist , entrepreneur and educator. He is the founding rector of the COMSATS University Islamabad.

SI HI

S. M. Junaid Zaidi
سید محمد جنید زیدی
S. M. Junaid Zaidi receiving his award Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2015
Born19 July 1949 (1949-07-19) (age 74)
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
CitizenshipPakistan Pakistani
EducationPhD
Alma materUniversity of the Punjab,
University of Birmingham
Occupation(s)Educator, Scientist, Entrepreneur, Administrator
Known forFounder Rector of CIIT,
Executive Director of COMSATS
RelativesA. R. Khatoon, Zubaida Khatoon
AwardsSitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award (2006),
Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) Award by the President of Pakistan (2015)

Junaid Zaidi(S.I,H.I) took the post of the Executive Director of Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (COMSATS) in Islamabad, Pakistan on February 27, 2017.[1]

Early life and education

Junaid Zaidi was born in Rawalpindi in 1949. After getting his master's degrees in Mathematics and Physics from the University of the Punjab, in 1981 he got another degree in Operations Research from the University of Birmingham. He completed his doctoral work at the University of Birmingham in 1984, specializing in optimization of algorithms on networking. On July 19, 2012, Lancaster University, UK, conferred on Zaidi the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.[2]

Positions held

He has served the government of Pakistan as the Director General of the National Center for Technology Transfer, (1991–95) and as "Scientific Secretary & Chief S&T" with the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (1995–98). From 1998 to 2017 he was the Founder Rector of the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), which was awarded Charter by the Government of Pakistan in 2000.[1] After retiring from CUI, he is serving as the Executive Director of COMSATS, since March 2017.[3][4]

Awards and recognition

Allegations

Dr S. M. Junaid Zaidi served as the chairman of the controversial National Testing Service (NTS)[9] for over 15 years. He got embroiled in a corruption and malpractice scandal of the NTS[10] and faced charges in the accountability court. Dr Junaid Zaidi has also come under severe criticism from a parliamentary committee, a sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for his central role in the controversial Dual Degree programme (DDP) which was started illegally without the approval of Higher Education Commission and put at stake the future of 2,532 students.[11] There have been allegations of money-laundering of nearly 6 million Pounds in the DDP case which is being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).[12]

In 2018, the Minister of State for Science & Technology, Mir Dostain Khan Domki, claimed in the media that Comsats University and NTS were being run by a "mafia" who were involved in corruption.[13]

References
  1. COMSATS FOUNDATION-STONE LAYING AND UNIVERSITY STATUS FOR CIIT Science Vision Quarterly (magazine) website, July–September 2000 issue, Retrieved 27 October 2019
  2. University, Lancaster. "Honorary Graduates (S. M. Junaid Zaidi in 2012)- Lancaster University (UK)". Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  3. "Islamic Finance Excellence Awards 2017". Center of Islamic Finance - COMSATS Institute of Information Technology. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  4. "Director General Pakistan Post Office issues special stamp marking COMSATS Silver Jubilee - Pakistan Observer (newspaper)". 8 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  5. Profile of S. M. Junaid Zaidi on CIIT website Archived 29 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 October 2019
  6. "The complete list of recipients of awards on Pakistan Day". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 24 March 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  7. "NCR IT excellence award 2000". Pakistan & Gulf Economist magazine (www.pakistaneconomist.com). Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  8. "World S&T institutes gather at Comsats council meeting Comsats head (S. M. Junaid Zaidi) awarded for meritorious services - Technology Times Weekly". 8 April 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  9. Dawn - NAB arrests NTS official in Rs158m corruption case
  10. The Nation - NTS found embroiled in corruption allegations in audit report
  11. Dawn - PAC body directs action against former Comsats rector
  12. The Nation - COMSATS students rally for dual degree
  13. Pakistan Times - ‘Mafia’ within Comsats, NTS, S&T ministry afraid of getting exposed, says minister


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