Shahnaz Wazir Ali

Shahnaz Wazir Ali

President, SZABIST University

Madam Shahnaz Wazir Ali is a recipient of Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2016 for her services to education. She has an illustrious career as an educationist, development policy specialist, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sector and as a well-known women’s rights activist.

From 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996, she had the unique opportunity to serve in key decision making positions in government, in the first term as Federal Minister of State for Education and subsequently, as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sectors. Her career in and commitment to education can be traced back to 1965, when she commenced teaching primary school children of deprived communities in Karachi, and subsequently spent about 15 years in teaching and administrative positions in the private sector, which included being Principal at the Lahore American School. She is also a Trustee of the Education Trust which runs Nasra Schools for children of low-income families in Karachi and provides K 10 education to more than10,000 students.

From 1997-2001, she served as the Senior Education Specialist at the World Bank in Islamabad. Her principal assignment was to provide policy, program and technical advice and assistance to the Federal and the 4 Provincial governments to facilitate the implementation of the countrywide Education Sector Social Action Program (SAP). It was in this period of her career that she was very actively involved in the planning for transforming the concept of an institutionalized National Education Assessment System (NEAS) within the Ministry of Education into a reality, for monitoring and improving the quality of education in Pakistan. 

Madam Shahnaz Wazir Ali has represented Pakistan at international conferences and as a highly valued speaker for national seminars, forums, conferences on education, health, women development, population, and poverty alleviation. She has been a champion of numerous social causes such as education for all, women’s rights, polio eradication in Pakistan.

Currently, she is Provincial Coordinator for the Government of Sindh for all primary health care programs including maternal and child health and Family Planning Programs. She is also the President of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Sciences and Technology (SZABIST). With a student enrollment of 6500 students, SZABIST has four campuses in different cities of Pakistan including one in Dubai. These two positions reflect her deep, abiding, and long-term commitment to health and education. She is also Board of a number of prestigious national and international organizations, trusts, advisory councils, educational boards, and universities including SZABIST, IBA, LEAD & SPDC.

Madam Shahnaz Wazir Alis’ commitment to education and social development has made her an asset to the whole country and we are proud to have her serve as President of SZABIST University.