Welcome to the December edition of Habitus!
This issue offers a Year in Review, highlighting Habib University’s key milestones and stories that shaped 2025. We celebrate our achievement of NECHE candidacy, a major step toward global academic excellence, and receiving the EDGE advanced certification. Explore inspiring student and alumni journeys, a spotlight on the interdisciplinary course Water, Science, and Society, and research projects tackling environmental challenges with innovative solutions. Relive the excitement of our OPEN House, which welcomed students from schools and colleges across the city to experience Habib’s vibrant community. Join us as we reflect on a year defined by innovation, impact, and sustainability.
Featured
2025 in Perspective: A Year of Impact
2025 was an extraordinary year for Habib University, filled with bold milestones and shared pride. From the launch of IDEAL and global accreditation progress to EDGE Advanced certification, a powerful convocation, record-breaking Zero Week scholarships, and a moving tribute to our founding Chancellor, the year reflected momentum and possibility.
Habib University Achieves NECHE Candidacy: A Global Benchmark
Habib University has earned “Candidate for Accreditation” status from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a pivotal step toward international academic recognition. This milestone reflects Habib’s commitment to rigorous standards, institutional excellence, and its vision to deliver world-class liberal arts education in Pakistan.
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
Unlocking Entrepreneurial Futures | Mairah Khan | Stories of Change
Meet Mairah Khan (Social Development and Policy’21), advancing inclusive economic growth in Pakistan’s financial sector. At Habib Bank Limited, she helped develop a collateral-free lending solution for small and medium enterprises, translating social policy insight into accessible financial innovation that supports entrepreneurship and sustainable development.
Computer Science Students Turn Tech into Strategy at Liberty City Ventures
Two Habib University Computer Science students, Muhammad Ibad and Nehal, interned remotely at Liberty City Ventures in New York, translating emerging technologies into actionable business strategies. Through fast-paced global collaboration and weekly presentations, they strengthened communication and thinking, supported by Habib’s interdisciplinary culture and Career Services, bridging technology and business.
Scrap to Survival: Stories Behind Karachi’s Recycling Network
Ayesha Jawed (Social Development and Policy ’27), in her blog, documents Karachi’s informal recycling economy in Scrap to Survival, an I-Act documentary spotlighting scrapdealers who sustain the city daily. The film humanizes waste, circularity, and survival, calling for dignity and inclusion. Habib University’s Inspired to Act (I-Act) program empowers students to turn learning into meaningful social action.
Experience Habib: Admissions Open House Welcomes Future Leaders
Habib University warmly welcomed students, parents, and counselors from across Karachi for its Admissions Open House. Attendees explored the #HabibExperience, learning about interdisciplinary programs, the Liberal Core, faculty excellence, financial aid opportunities like HU TOPS, and vibrant student life, showcasing Habib as Pakistan’s premier undergraduate institution for future-ready leaders.
FOSTERING INTELLECTUAL GROWTH
Course Spotlight: Water: Science, Society, and Policy
Habib University’s course Water: Science, Society, and Policy, taught by Dr. Hadiqa Maqsood, Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences and Mathematics, redefined learning through active pedagogy, role play, technology, and immersive fieldwork. Integrating science with social, political, and lived realities, the course framed water as a polycrisis, enabling students to critically examine governance, equity, and decision-making in a water-stressed world. Read Esha, our staff writer’s, insightful coverage of the course.
R3 Faculty Talk: Global Fellow Xiaoxi Zhang on World Literature
Global Fellow in the Comparative Humanities program, Xiaoxi Zhang, a scholar in world literature, delivered an R3 (Rethink, Redefine, Reimagine) Talk during 2025’s Pedagogical Development Week, urging a human-centred approach to literary inquiry. She spoke about how deep reflection and expressive interpretation enrich research and understanding across cultures, as well as how to teach world literature through the lens of human experiences to young students.
The Making of Pakistan History Bibliography: A Digital Archive
Habib University launched the Pakistan History Bibliography, a publicly accessible digital archive featuring nearly 600 curated scholarly works on Pakistan’s past. Designed to support researchers, students, and history enthusiasts, the searchable platform allows users to explore books, articles, and digital resources, with advanced filters and a “Submit a Source” feature to grow the collection. Read Esha, our staff writer’s interview feature.
Cultivating connections, nurturing community growth
An Awakening for Pakistan’s Future: Nation-Building and the Power of Corporate Leadership
At a gathering of Pakistan’s corporate leaders, Habib University sparked dialogue on nation-building, ethical leadership, and liberal arts education, highlighting how industry–academia partnerships and philanthropy strengthen institutions and expand access.
A Decade of Impact: Habib University Community Gathers in Canada
The Habib University community in Mississauga, Canada, gathered to celebrate a decade of impact and reaffirm its shared belief in philanthropy as an investment in knowledge. Rooted in the Founding Chancellor’s legacy, the evening inspired reflection, purpose, and collective resolve to build enduring institutions and nurture thoughtful, independent leaders.
Building the Future We Owe: Zakat, Education, and Enduring Institutions
Habib University’s Zakat campaign launch reimagines Islamic philanthropy as a catalyst for institution-building and generational change. Grounded in history, faith, and education, it makes a powerful case for investing Zakat in higher education; transforming lives, sustaining communities, and building institutions that endure as a sacred Amanah.
