(Asghar Ali Mubarak)
Islamabad: In an inspiring achievement for Pakistan’s academic community, Dr. Fouzia Farooq Ahmed, an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), has been awarded two prestigious fellowships at the University of Oxford. These accolades not only reflect her personal excellence but also underscore the high standards of education at Quaid-i-Azam University, placing it on the global academic map.
Dr. Fouzia has been honored with the esteemed TORCH Global Visiting Professorship at All Souls College, University of Oxford, for the year 2024. Additionally, she has been selected for the Fellowship on Islam in South Asia at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies for the 2025-2026 academic year. These significant achievements are a testament to her scholarly contributions and the growing recognition of Pakistani academics in the global arena.
The TORCH Global South Visiting Professorships Programme, funded by All Souls College, is one of the most sought-after academic honors in the world. The program brings leading scholars from the Global South to Oxford for one term, with only one scholar selected each year. This makes Dr. Fouzia’s selection particularly noteworthy, as she is the first female Pakistani scholar from a public sector university to receive this distinction.
Dr. Fouzia expressed her pride in this achievement, noting how rare it is for a scholar from Pakistan, especially from a public institution, to be selected for such a competitive fellowship. “It is a significant achievement that a Pakistani female scholar from a public sector university has brought this honor to Pakistan for the first time in its history,” she said.
In addition to the TORCH Professorship, Dr. Fouzia was also awarded the highly competitive two-year Fellowship on Islam in South Asia at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. This fellowship is part of the center’s flagship Atlas Project, one of the largest and most esteemed initiatives in the study of Islamic history. The rigorous selection process saw applicants from across the globe vying for the fellowship, making Dr. Fouzia’s success all the more impressive.
Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Fouzia emphasized the role that her education at Quaid-i-Azam University has played in shaping her academic career. She completed her Masters, M.Phil., and PhD from the Department of History at QAU, which she credits for providing a solid foundation in her field. “The fact that a scholar who has completed her Masters, M.Phil., and PhD from the Department of History at Quaid-i-Azam University has won these fellowships speaks volumes about the standard of education at Quaid-i-Azam University and the potential for achievement among its students,” she noted.
While these fellowships offer personal growth and substantial opportunities for research, Dr. Fouzia is keen to give back to her alma mater. She plans to share her experience and knowledge with her colleagues and students at QAU by organizing orientation sessions and hybrid seminars. These events would enable Pakistani scholars and students to engage with their counterparts at the University of Oxford, fostering collaboration and enhancing academic opportunities.
“I feel profoundly indebted to my esteemed alma mater and wish to share this opportunity with my department as well as other fellow Quaidians,” Dr. Fouzia said. She envisions these initiatives as a way to build connections between the faculty and students of social sciences at QAU and the academic community at Oxford, opening doors to further academic collaboration.
Dr. Fouzia’s accomplishments serve as a source of pride not only for Quaid-i-Azam University but for Pakistan as a whole. Her success highlights the potential of Pakistani scholars and reinforces the idea that, with determination and hard work, the academic community in Pakistan can achieve international recognition and excellence.
