Chairman
Dr. Zafar Qadir, the founding Chairman of ‘Taaleem Foundation’ and ‘The Innoversity’, has been a senior professional in the public sector with significant diversity in roles and experience from philanthropy to private sector support, corporate sector facilitation, and public sector service delivery.
In the public sector, he worked as Federal Secretary in the Ministry of IT & Telecom, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority, Additional Secretary to the President of Pakistan; and Economic Minister to the World Trade Organization at Geneva, Switzerland. He has been Chairman of PTCL, Telecom Foundation, and Virtual University Boards; and a member on the Boards of Universal Service Fund, ICT R&D Fund, OGDCL, Inter-State Gas System (ISGS), Government Holdings (Private) Limited, and Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan.
Dr. Qadir holds a Doctorate in Development Studies; and Master degrees in Business, Economics and Political Science. He attained the management, law and trade-related skills at the University of Connecticut (USA), University of Manchester (UK), ADB Institute (Philippines), International Trade Institute (Singapore), Advisory Centre for WTO Laws (Switzerland) and the International Trade Centre (Switzerland).
He conceptualized and pioneered the application of the public-private partnership model in 1989, where he set up the first school of Taaleem Foundation in Balochistan run on PPP mode. He believes in the deployment of technological solutions to engineer social change; and remains focused on empowering human resource with purposeful education, meaningful collaboration and inter-cultural communication for a peaceful and prosperous global society.
Board of Directors
Mir Ahmad Bakhsh Lehriis a Founding Director at Taaleem Foundation. He holds the qualifications of M.A. (English) and L.L.B. He belongs to Lehri (Baloch) tribe of Balochistan. The representation of this son of the soil in the Board infuses the sagacity, which is required to bring quality education in Balochistan and to promote the core values and culture of the province effectively. He has served as the Chief Secretary of Balochistan and as Federal Secretary in the Ministry Education and Professional Traning in the Government of Pakistan. He also worked as a Member of the ‘Federal Public Service Commission’ at Islamabad.
Mr. Kamal Hassan Siddiqui is one of the founding Directors of Taaleem Foundation. He has played a vital role over the years in transforming this organization towards self-sustainability and has ensured the implementation of best practices in operations. He leads an audit firm / tax consultants in Quetta which is functional since 1946 and is the first firm to rise in the city – Hassan & Company. In the field of financial and legal matters, his acumen is considered to be one of the best resources available to firms in Pakistan. His major clients are from the following sectors: corporate, governmental and non-profit organizations. He is also the Vice President of Pakistan Tax Bar Association.He is also a social entrepreneur and sits on the board of many NGOs and public sector entities.
Ms. Sobia Asad,an Accredited Change Manager (ACM) from the Change Management Institute, Sydney – Australia is on TF Board since 2009. She has a business management degree from a joint program of the University of Lausanne and the University of Zurich in Switzerland. She remained actively involved in designing and managing change-related projects for the United Nations and streamlining communication channels to serve an international network of clients. Having worked as a consultant with UMT Consulting International Islamabad, ILO Office Geneva and ITC (International Trade Centre) Geneva, Switzerland, she has a special flavour for developing strategic global partnership. She thrives as a Transformational Leadership Coach in Sydney, Australia.
Mr. Muhammad Saleem Ahmed Ranjha , joined the CSS and has served in Pakistan Customs, Pakistan Inland Revenue Service, Ministry of Commerce, Trade Development Authority, and NAVTTC. He has been a part of Pakistan’s trade negotiation teams with more than 30 countries during 2003-2006 and was nominated as one of the 100 business leaders and change-makers of Pakistan by Manager Today at the CEO Summit Asia 2013 and 2014. Mr. Ranjha has served in an advisory position on boards of multiple organizations. He has taught at over 25 universities and training institutions. He organized several international conferences and workshops and represented Pakistan on multiple occasions at various international events on topics including microfinance, agriculture, trade facilitation and economy. He worked as the Federal Secretary Benazir Income Support Program in Pakistan. He is a proponent of Innovative and application of Technology-based solutions for e-Learning, e-Agriculture and e-Health for the people residing in rural areas and is spearheading rural development’s “Wan Miana Model” which includes interest-free microfinance, education, and healthcare.
Dr. Mian Amer Masud joined the Board of Directors in January 2014. He has a wide experience in Medical Education, Healthcare Management, E-Learning, Education informatics, Program Development and Project Planning. He believes in providing standardized education through highly qualified faculty for students of undeserved areas specially females who are not able to travel to big cities due to social or economic reasons. He currently serves as a chairman of National Institute of Medical and Social Sciences (NIMSS) at Islamabad in Collaboration with Partners Harvard Medical International, Boston USA. He is based at OHIO state of USA.
Mrs. Farzana Shahid joined the TF Board of Directors and Academic Council in January 2015. Having obtained postgraduate degrees in Advanced Professional Studies from the University of Strathclyde – Glasgow, Postgraduate Diplomas from the University of Bradford, and a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, she has had a distinguished academic record with concurrent academic and co-curricular achievements. These include various gold medals and top position in all her undertakings from matriculation to the Masters levels. She is an accomplished and experienced educationist, with her professional experience spanning over two decades at various public and private sector institutions including TF Grammar School Zhob, Army Public School, Beaconhouse School System and the City School Network, before assuming her current position as the Registrar at the University of central Punjab, Lahore.
Mr. Syed Abu Ahmad Akif belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service who appeared for the highly competitive civil service examination in 1982 and secured the first position in Pakistan. He served as the Cabinet Secretary and Federal Secretary at the Ministry of Climate Change Pakistan. He worked in the provincial governments of Sindh and Balochistan, prior to his posting as Director-General of Pakistan’s Hajj mission in Saudi Arabia from 2010–2015. He obtained two master’s degrees from the University of Karachi. In 1998, Syed Akif received a fully funded degree fellowship at the East West Center Hawai’i (University of Hawaii) that led to a master’s degree in public administration. Again becoming a full-time student in 2009, he completed the master’s program in defense and strategic studies from the National Defense University, Islamabad.
He is an accomplished writer and author of 10 books and 100 plus published articles. On March 23, 2019, Akif was bestowed with an honour that is rare for civil servants: the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.
Ms. Zobaida Jalal – Zobaida Jalal Khan is Federal Minister for Defense Production in Government of Pakistan.
She has been a teacher and a social entrepreneur. She came in national prominence and public fame as a leading woman minister in the Federal Cabinet of Pakistan. From 2000–07, she was the Minister of Education in Pakistan. and unsuccessfully contested for general elections held in 2008. Ms Zobaida Jalal has helped establish a school for girls in her while teaching at school, she also taught English literature at the Balochistan University. She has authored many publications including the Papers on Baloch Embroidery and Poverty alleviation.
Dr. Ruqia Saeed Hashmi – is a politician, who also excels in philanthropy, Social entrepreneurship and business development. She completed her graduation in medicine from DOW Medical College in 1976. She became a member of Balochistan Parliament in 2002 and remained Provincial Minister of Social Welfare and Women Development Department during her tenure in the parliament. During the caretaker setup of 2018, she had been the Finance Minister of Balochistan.
She has been on the Boards of Director oat Lady Dufferin Hospital Quetta, SCSPEB, Pakistan Medical Association, Taraquee Foundation, Children Hospital Quetta, NATPOW and Trust for Voluntary Organization (TVO).
Mr. Hassan Raza is a businessman. He is associated with the Chemical Industry in Pakistan and overseas as one of the sponsors. He has held Advisory Positions with various MNCs including Mitsui Europe and Ravago. Previously, he was based for a number of years in Silicon Valley U.S.A working for Fairchild and Intel Corporation in various technical and management positions. He is a member of Harvard Business School Club of Pakistan, Vice President Schools of Harvard Club of Pakistan and a member of Sir Syed Memorial Society, Islamabad. He is an active member of the board with respect to business development, Resource Mobilization and Institutional linkages with the Corporate word. He brings in-depth knowledge and vast experience in the field of corporate governance.