Prof. Dr. M. Qasim Jan

                Born in Hangu, M. Qasim Jan holds B.Sc. Hons (Peshawar), M.S. (Oregon) and Ph.D. (London) degrees.  He became a lecturer in Peshawar University in 1968, a full Professor in 1983, Director of National Centre of Excellence in Geology in 1988, and Dean of Science Faculty in 1997.  He has traveled extensively, availed prestigious fellowships (Royal Society, Fulbright, and NERC), paid visits to many institutions and delivered talks on the geology of NW Himalaya in Europe, USA, and Asia.  He was a visiting Professor at the Univ. of Oregon, USA, in 1994-95.

                Dr. Jan is a member of several learned societies and Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, Pak. Acad. of Sciences, Mineralogical Soc. of America, and Geological Soc. of London. He has carried out extensive and intensive investigations of the geology of the Himalayan region. He has some 220 publications, edited seven special volumes, and is author of the seminal book “Geology and Tectonics of Pakistan” (1977). He has received many honors and awards including 1) Civil awards: Sitara-i-Imtiaz (1999) and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (1994), 2) Gold medals from Pak. Acad. of Sciences (1980, 1997), and 3) Best book-authorship (Natural Sciences, 1995-97 period) and Scientist of the Year (1990) from National Book Foundation of Pakistan.

He is/was a member of governing bodies of many institutions, peer-review committees, and editorial boards of several journals, and Chairman of the Himalayan Regional Committee of the International Lithosphere Programme (1998-2004). From 1997 to 2000, he worked as Vice Chancellor, Univ. of Peshawar, and July 1, 2001 to 2003, as founder Vice Chancellor of the Sarhad Univ.,  Peshawar. In February 2004, he was selected as Distinguished National Professor of the Higher Education Commission, and has been Vice Chancellor of the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, since Oct. 2005.