Academic excellence meets governance reform at UAF

At the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) — Pakistan’s preeminent public research institution — academic excellence and policy innovation converge in the figure of Naveed Rafaqat, whose dual distinction as scholar and reformer has set new standards for evaluative integrity and institutional trust.

Serving as a PhD Dissertation Committee Member, he plays a decisive role in shaping Pakistan’s next generation of scholars. Over the past three years, he has participated in more than thirty-three doctoral examinations, contributing rigorous evaluations, written reports, and final deliberations that uphold the highest academic standards.

His doctoral supervision record — marked by a 91% aggregate pass rate — reflects a rare balance of scholarly rigour and mentorship. Renewed annually by the Graduate Studies Board, his appointment underscores the University’s recognition of his intellectual discipline, impartial judgment, and pedagogical authority.

Beyond academia, Naveed’s leadership as Director General of the Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority (PSBA) exemplifies how evaluative excellence can translate into transformative governance. Under his stewardship, PSBA has evolved from a provincial company into Pakistan’s first statutory welfare authority.

This transformation has turned it into a living laboratory of inclusive growth, generating employment while institutionalising transparency and innovation in public service delivery.

In uniting evaluation with execution, Naveed embodies the global standard of a “scholar trusted by the state.” His sustained role in doctoral assessment and public-sector reform affirms an extraordinary capacity to judge, innovate, and elevate — making him a defining exemplar of Pakistan’s academic and governance renaissance.