Habib University as a higher-education institution constitutes a vibrant faculty and student body in the context of undergraduate studies. Habib University is fully committed to becoming an undergraduate research-led University. Our liberal arts curriculum promotes interdisciplinary research to solve the world’s challenges. Applying Yohsin values to provide empathetic responses to issues relevant to local and national contexts, our research endeavors strive to combine technical, creative, and socially conscious approaches and disciplines.
Habib University values research of all types but prioritizes research that is relevant to the issues and challenges of the national and regional context in which it operates and research studies that employ Habib University’s undergraduate students.
This research culture is enriched by student-teacher collaboration. The inclusion of undergraduate students in research activities provides them with the necessary skills for life-long learning as their engagement with scholarly activity is early in their education, and it can also guide them towards their final year projects, employment decisions, and future graduate studies. By embedding research culture in its courses, Habib University aims to develop undergraduate students who are well-versed in conducting research, have problem-solving capacities, and are prepared to provide impactful and sustainable solutions in real-world settings.
Office of Research
The main mission of the Office of Research is to support and expand the reach and impact of research and scholarship conducted at Habib University to achieve institutional goals and create a positive impact in the communities in which we engage. It celebrates intellectual products through various dissemination platforms such as books, conferences, exhibits, and journals.
To ensure a smooth process, the Office provides support to faculty members in the following areas:
- Strategic planning and setting research priorities
- Ideation for multidisciplinary research projects on complex regional issues
- Training and workshops for capacity-building on topics such as Proposal writing, grant management, and research administration
- Grant proposal review, budget preparation, and submission
- Grant Administration
- Coordination between departments for research operational support
- Ethical clearance for research projects through Institutional Review Board
Research Priorities
Habib University provides its faculty with many opportunities to research ideas they are interested in. Habib University provides support and funding for any research proposal that captures their interest and aligns with the following HU’s Pillars of Good Research.
- A thriving multidisciplinary undergraduate research culture with the inclusion of its student body.
- A particular focus on regional issues such as environment, education, health, decolonization and globalization, gender, urban design and mobility, media, service design, engineering, and technology.
- Fill the urgent gaps in knowledge associated with areas of institutional intellectual focus and academic program needs.
- Connecting research to pedagogical deliverables – courses, seminars, conference papers.
Engage in research and scholarly activity in collaboration with partner institutions and their academic community.
OoR Team
Raheel Tajuddin Lakhani:
Raheel Lakhani is an Assistant Director, Research and Faculty Development at Habib University. He has worked in the field of educational administration, faculty development, and instructional design for more than a decade. Before joining Habib University, he headed the Digital Publishing department at Oxford University Press, Pakistan. He has also served as an Educational Technologist at The Aga Khan University Network of Blended and Digital Learning, where he trained faculty members and co-designed blended learning courses in the schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Teacher Education. He holds a Master of Education from The Aga Khan University – Institute for Educational Development and a Master of Arts in Technology and Social Change from Lunds University (Sweden). His interests include eLearning pedagogy, learner autonomy, pluralism education, and visual narratives.
Hajira Khurram:
Preceded by Karim Iqbal, Hajira Khurram joined the Office of Research at the beginning of 2023 as an Assistant Manager, bringing with her a wealth of expertise as a holder of a Master’s degree in Global Education and International Development from the University of Warwick. As an alumna of Habib University, graduating in the batch of 2021, Hajira conducted in-depth research on the intersectionality of liberal arts education, critical consciousness, and cultural realities related to gender, economics, and the nation-state. Her work exemplifies an objective and unbiased approach, evident in her latest research on student perceptions of Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) in India and Pakistan, challenging the colonial legacy in education during her tenure at Warwick. Prior to joining Habib University, Hajira served as a research associate at the Global Schools Forum, UK, contributing significantly to the development of a diversity, equity, and inclusion playbook. With her extensive knowledge and unwavering dedication, Hajira plays a pivotal role in driving forward research initiatives at the Habib University Research Office.