Habib Ahmad

Habib Ahmad was a Pakistani scientist, a professor of Genetics and vice-chancellor of Islamia College, Peshawar in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Early life, career and awards

Ahmad was born in Matta village in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. He attended Government High School in Matta and passed his matriculation exam in 1975. He graduated from Jahanzeb College in Saidu Sharif in 1981. He then earned an MSc and MPhil in botany from the Department of Botany at the University of Peshawar in 1985 and 1991 respectively, followed by a PhD from the University of the Punjab in 2003. After graduating, he joined Hazara University as a professor in 2005, and has been the vice-chancellor of this university since 28 July 2016.
Ahmad is the author of more than ten books and 217 research papers all having groundbreaking impact on genetics and expanding the collective Pakistani knowledge on the subject. He also has more than 30 years of experience in teaching, research and development.
Some years ago, he served at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council in Islamabad, Pakistan. He played a role in the Cytogenetics Program where he contributed to the establishment and strengthening of a Cytogenetics lab.
He has been leading an effort towards an international research project for production of vaccines against Dengue virus.

He died on 7 April 2021 after an ailment for several days. His funeral was observed at his hometown Matta, Swat, Pakistan.