For their outstanding contribution, four eminent professors of COMSATS University, Islamabad were honored with prestigious civilian awards in a ceremony held in Pakistan recently.
The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, recognized the achievements of the recipients in their respective fields, both nationally and internationally.
Farrah Mahmood Rana, Associate Professor, Department of Art and Design, was honored in the field of Art at a ceremony held at the Presidential Building in Islamabad. Farrah is a graduate of the National College of Arts, Lahore, and specializes in Asian miniature painting. In addition to her 4 solo exhibitions, Farrah has participated in more than 160 national and international group exhibitions in the USA, Canada, England, Austria, France, Hong Kong, China, Azerbaijan, Tehran, Jeddah, India, Bangladesh, USA, Bahrain and Greece. He was awarded the prestigious Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowship Award (UK) for excellence in traditional miniature art. The Art House (Wakefield, England) awarded him Artist in Residence in 2009, the Federal Chancellor of Austria in 2006, and CAMAC (France) in 2014. He is the Chair of the Department of Art and Design at COMSATS University. (CUI), Islamabad City.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman presided over the ceremony held in Lahore Governorate and presented civic awards to three COMSATS University professors on behalf of the President of Pakistan.
Now, Professor Dr Jamshed Iqbal, Director, of the Center for Advanced Drug Research, CUI Abbottabad Campus, has been awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in Science. Dr Iqbal has over 400 international publications with a cumulative impact factor of 1500+. To date, it has completed more than 200 million research projects and received 3 international and 3 national patents. He pioneered the modern approach to developing drugs to treat cardiovascular disease and diabetes as a disease. Gold Medal by Pakistan Academy of Sciences in the field of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as HEC National Distinguished Research Award-2022 and Fellow of Pakistan Academy of Sciences.
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dr. Hammad Omer has received the prestigious Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his contribution in the field of Engineering. Dr Omer’s academic journey includes a PhD in 2012 from the Department of Bio-Engineering, Imperial College London. Since joining COMSATS University, Islamabad in March 2013, he has established the Medical Image Processing Research Group, focusing on effective research to address national and global challenges in MRI. His scientific work is internationally recognized and includes numerous publications and patents from the United States Patent Office. He is also the recipient of the Pakistan Engineering Council Excellence Award 2024 for his outstanding services in the field of Engineering.
At the same event, Dr Muhammad Yarar, Associate Professor of Advanced Biomedical Materials, CUI-Lahore Campus received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his outstanding work in the field of Biomedical Engineering. Dr Yarar works as Cluster Head of the Skin Tissue Engineering Group at IRCBM. He has published more than 108 articles and more than 4000 and 25 national and international patents. Innovative work on D-sugar scaffolds to enhance angiogenesis for faster wound healing has been featured in various international media. Dr. Yarar and his team have developed two advanced wound care products that are clinically used to treat burn patients and immediately stop bleeding in Pakistan. Received/completed more than 100 million rupees of research grants from national and international funding agencies and sectors.
Prof. Dr. Sajid Qamar, Vice Chancellor of COMSATS University, Islamabad, acknowledged the hard work of these faculty members and said that this award reinforces COMSATS University’s commitment to academic excellence, research, and innovation, further enhancing its position as a leading institution. higher education in Pakistan. He said the recognition of his lecturers on the national platform reflects the university’s ongoing efforts to promote intellectual growth and community development.
