The Higher Education Commission (Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan) has appointed Rector of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Dr. Muhammad Zahid Latif, as the National Chair on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in a major move aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s emerging technology ecosystem.
According to details, the National Chair will function as a central strategic platform to guide policy direction, governance frameworks, and national coordination in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics. The initiative comes at a time when AI and robotics are increasingly shaping global economies, industrial systems, security structures, and governance models.
Based at the NUST Islamabad campus, the chair will work with a panel of experts to assess Pakistan’s AI and robotics landscape, including oversight of key institutions such as the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) and the National Centre of Robotics and Automation (NCRA).
The HEC stated that the appointment reflects its confidence in NUST’s leadership in research and innovation. Dr. Latif expressed gratitude over the assignment, saying it represents both recognition of NUST’s contributions and an opportunity to build stronger national alignment in emerging technologies.
He emphasized that Pakistan’s progress in AI and robotics depends on collaboration between academia, industry, government, and innovators.
The National Chair will also identify structural gaps and operational challenges in the country’s AI ecosystem and benchmark local progress against international best practices. The initiative is expected to propose a unified national framework to accelerate innovation and support Pakistan’s transition toward a knowledge-based economy driven by advanced technologies.
