Welcome to the August-October edition of Habitus!
This issue is dedicated to honoring our Founding Chancellor, Mr. Rafiq M. Habib, whose vision continues to inspire our mission. Covering events from September to mid-October, this newsletter celebrates Habib University’s milestone as the first university in the region to achieve EDGE Advanced Green Certification for sustainable design. Discover the innovative “Bioscience in Cinema” course, faculty appointments to senior roles, and students developing a touch-and-tap app for children with Down syndrome. We also highlight our alumni’s remarkable achievements, community engagement events, and new endowed scholarships supporting deserving students; all reflecting Habib University’s enduring spirit of innovation, excellence, and empathy.
Featured
In Loving Memory: Rafiq M. Habib, Founding Chancellor
In a moving tribute, President Wasif A. Rizvi honors the late Rafiq M. Habib, Founding Chancellor of Habib University, whose vision and quiet strength made the university a reality. Remembered as a guiding force and a deeply humble leader, Rafiq Sahib’s legacy of service and devotion to education will continue to inspire generations.
Habib University Sets Regional Milestone with EDGE Advanced Green Building Certification
Habib University becomes the first University in South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia to achieve the prestigious EDGE Advanced Green Building Certification. This recognition underscores its commitment to sustainability, achieving 48% energy savings along with major water and material efficiencies, setting a regional benchmark for climate-conscious higher education infrastructure.
SOARING SUCCESS
Stories of Change Video Series: Celebrating Alumni Impact
From Karachi to Islamabad, Damisha Salim (Social Development and Policy ’19) advances climate-resilient futures across South and Central Asia. As a Research Associate, she leads renewable energy adaptation strategies addressing extreme weather and rising temperatures. Bridging science and society, her interdisciplinary work drives sustainable, equitable, and practical climate solutions for future generations.
Tap & Count: A Khidmat Project Bringing Inclusive Learning to Life
What began as a Khidmat project grew into a journey of empathy and innovation. Habib University Computer Science students partnered with the Karachi Down Syndrome Program to create Tap & Count, a joyful numeracy app for children with Down syndrome. Built with care and creativity, it redefined technology as a tool to connect, include, and care. Read more about what the Khidmat project at Habib University is.
Career Curation Program: Redefining Academia–Industry Collaboration
The Career Curation Program (CCP) at Habib University transforms abstract academia–industry collaboration into purposeful, hands-on learning. Designed with faculty and industry partners, it helps students navigate uncertainty, build professional judgment, and move from anxiety to agency. Through mentorship, reflection, and real-world projects, CCP nurtures confidence, clarity, and the capacity to act with intention and resilience.
Beyond Boundaries: My Research Abroad Experience at Texas A&M University
Through Habib University’s Research Abroad Program, a Computer Science student, Raahim, spent the summer at Texas A&M University, exploring theoretical research in an unfamiliar field. Guided by a supportive mentor, he learned to navigate independence, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and personal growth. The experience reshaped his understanding of research as curiosity, resilience, and connection.
Little Lessons, Big Growth: A Summer Abroad at UC Berkeley
Laiba recounts her transformative summer at UC Berkeley: a journey of independence, resilience, and gratitude. From navigating public transport and managing finances to thriving in rigorous courses and finding joy in solitude, she discovered growth in every challenge, returning home more confident, self-aware, and ready to embrace life’s lessons. What began as an academic pursuit became a defining chapter of self-growth and global connection.
Fostering intellectual growth
Course Spotlight: Teaching Bioscience Through Film
Bioscience in Cinema, an elective by Dr. Humaira Jamshed, transforms science education through films like Contagion and Wall-E. Blending storytelling with scientific rigor, the course fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. Students say its open dialogue “feels safe to question anything,” a hallmark of scientific inquiry often missing from traditional classrooms and a model of pedagogical innovation.
Gaza Book Launch Highlights Palestinian Voices
Habib University’s Social Development & Policy Program, in collaboration with its Academic Centres, hosted the launch of Gaza: The Story of a Genocide. Edited by Fatima Bhutto and Sonia Faleiro, the anthology gathers testimonies, poetry, and reportage from Palestine, reflecting on storytelling’s moral urgency and art’s power to resist erasure and injustice.
Habib University Faculty Members Appointed to Senior Positions
Habib University proudly announces the appointment of nine esteemed faculty members to senior academic positions. The appointments recognize excellence in teaching, research, and service across diverse disciplines. Reflecting the University’s commitment to academic distinction and leadership development, these advancements mark a significant milestone in strengthening Habib University’s passionate and innovative intellectual community.
New Faculty Join Habib University’s Academic Community
Habib University is proud to welcome an exceptional cohort of new faculty across disciplines, spanning philosophy, AI, environmental engineering, political science, and design. These educators bring global expertise and innovative pedagogy to the University’s mission of inclusive excellence and critical inquiry. Their addition further enriches Habib University’s dynamic academic environment, fostering deeper inquiry, innovation, and interdisciplinary learning.
Cultivating connections, nurturing community growth
Habib University Gala Brings Community Together in Canada
At Habib University’s “Shaping Futures in a Fractured World” gala in Mississauga, leading members of the Pakistani diaspora came together to champion equitable access to education. Featuring powerful reflections from President Wasif Rizvi, journalist Aaron Maté, and alumni, the event celebrated a decade of impact and renewed commitment to shaping ethical, conscious, and inclusive futures.
Launching the Sultana Siddiqui Distinguished Scholarships
Habib University unveiled the Sultana Siddiqui Distinguished Scholarships with “Not the Exception – The Standard,” a powerful event celebrating women’s creativity and leadership in media. Honoring Sultana Siddiqui’s pioneering spirit, the initiative reaffirms Habib University’s commitment to inclusive excellence and its belief that women’s success should define, not defy, the standard.
Honoring a Vision: The Mohammed Wadood Distinguished Endowed Scholarships
Habib University dedicated the Mohammed Wadood Distinguished Endowed Scholarships, established by Zainab Wadood in memory of her late father. Supporting students across disciplines in perpetuity, the endowment reflects a shared belief that education is a space of liberation and justice. The University proudly welcomes Zainab into its community of Mohsineen; those shaping futures through purposeful generosity.
Celebrating HU TOPS and Honoring Shahbaz Yasin Malik
Habib University launched its inaugural Mulaqaat series on September 23, 2025, celebrating visionary philanthropy in higher education. The first event honored Shahbaz Yasin Malik, a key supporter of HU TOPS: a program redefining access and equity by enabling over 500 national board students to pursue world-class education, transforming generosity into a catalyst for systemic change.
