KMU Holds Prestigious Quality Assurance Awards 2024–25 ceremony The Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) of Khyber Medical University (KMU), Peshawar organized a grand ceremony to confer the Quality Assurance Awards 2024–25 upon its top-performing public and private medical, dental, nursing, and allied health colleges. The awards were based on the successful completion of annual quality assurance targets set by the university under the guidance of Higher Education Commission. Secretary Higher Education Department (HED) Govt. of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Capt (R) Kamran Afridi graced the event as the chief guest, while Vice Chancellor KMU Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq delivered the inaugural address. Director QEC Dr. Syeda Asiyah Bukhari presented the annual quality performance report of various institutions in line with the Higher Education Commission’s quality indicators and evaluation standards. In his opening remarks, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq stated that KMU has aligned its academic, research, and institutional quality standards with modern global requirements through a comprehensive quality assurance framework. He said that KMU provides a robust, transparent, and well-structured quality assurance model not only for its constituent institutes but also for all affiliated medical, dental, nursing, and allied health institutions. He further noted that the university’s goal is to elevate the standard of medical education in the province to an internationally competitive level and to sustain continuous improvement in the years ahead. He expressed satisfaction over the timely achievement of annual targets by affiliated institutions and appreciated the increasing culture of quality and accountability within the system. Addressing the ceremony, Secretary HED Capt (R) Kamran Afridi praised KMU’s quality assurance model, describing it as a benchmark for all universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that KMU had set an exemplary standard in the province and that its clear, systematic, and transparent quality assurance mechanism had significantly enhanced the overall standard of medical and allied health education. He added that the Higher Education Department considers KMU’s model a guiding framework for other universities and will continue to extend full support to strengthen these systems further. The Secretary highlighted major initiatives of the provincial government in the higher education sector. He stated that the government had increased the annual higher education budget from Rs. 1.9 billion to Rs. 10 billion, which reflects unprecedented commitment to strengthening this vital sector. He shared that when he assumed office, several universities in the province were operating without permanent vice chancellors on an ad-hoc basis, but the appointment process had now been reduced from two years to just two months, resulting in improved governance and efficiency. He added that a dedicated Quality Assurance Cell had been established at HED to monitor and evaluate the performance of all higher education institutions in the province, which had brought noticeable improvements in academic and administrative standards. Secretary Afridi further announced that the provincial government would introduce a fully funded, one-year paid internship program for all new graduates from next year. He also praised the outstanding performance and services of Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq, stating that despite his appointment as Executive Director HEC, the government had decided that he would continue his role as Vice Chancellor of KMU, a decision warmly welcomed by the attendees. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Quality Assurance Awards were presented to the top-performing public and private medical, dental, nursing, and allied health institutions. Best Teacher Awards were also distributed among faculty members of KMU’s constituent institutes, while appreciation certificates were awarded to QEC staff. The chief guest and the Vice Chancellor while cutting cake congratulated all award-winning institutions and commended the dedicated efforts of the QEC team.