Dr. Habib Bokhari

former Kohsar University vice chancellor

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Dr. Habib Bokhari is a former Vice Chancellor of Kohsar University. He has been associated with COMSATS for almost 24 years. He has said he is currently an advisor to the Gates Foundation.

Early life and background

Bokhari was taught in government schools at first. He has said he came from a government school and drew motivation and inspiration from his parents. He recalls teachers who came by bicycle and taught children for free. [1]

Education

Bokhari studied at Government College Lahore. He did a master's and an MPhil in biotechnology and biochemistry at Quaid-e-Azam University. He went to the University of Glasgow, a Russell Group university in the UK. [1]

Career

Bokhari taught for three years and then had the opportunity of a Commonwealth scholarship. He joined a government job around 1996 to 1997. He has said he joined COMSATS in 2002 or 2003. [1]

He worked on pertussis, which he calls kali khansi. He has said no research on his topic, pertussis, was under way in Pakistan at the time. He took up a Commonwealth fellowship in 2003. He spent a year at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine working on diarrheal diseases. He also worked on a glyco-engineering vaccines platform. [1]

Bokhari has said he had a Fulbright and worked and taught in US universities as well. He has said he had the opportunity to work for other international organisations. He tries to get a sabbatical every four or five years, he has said. He has also said he had a chance to establish a new university. [1]

Advisory and board roles

Bokhari has said he has an advisory role on a panel for Commonwealth scholar alumni. He has said he is a member of the board of trustees of the Pakistan Science Foundation. He has said he has served as a Fulbright evaluator. He has also said he regularly works with the British Council. [1]

Views

Bokhari has said that 90 universities were present in Pakistan and that the number is now 270. He has said Pakistan's higher education has roughly two to two and a half million students. He has said Pakistan's education spending was listed at 0.8% of GDP. He has also said higher education has three core mandates: accessibility, quality and relevance. [1]

He has suggested identifying provincial excellence universities and converting one or two of them into a super research university. He has said clusters of universities can talk to each other and support interdisciplinary work. He has said the link between primary health and primary education needs work. [1]

Bokhari has described a full process from invention disclosure to patent filing and acceptance. He has said a few success stories can transform the whole system. He has mentioned Singapore as a small country where a workforce is prepared. He has said that if the agriculture and livestock economy is the top priority, the focus should be on bio economies. He has also said antimicrobial resistance will be a leading problem in the next few years. [1]

He has said a component of creative thinking, critical thinking and creativity that used to remain has now become rare. He has said practical and experiential learning in laboratories is very important. He has said he recently brought children from villages into his laboratory. [1]

Bokhari has said reskilling and upskilling are very useful for training the workforce. He has said a professor's range of subjects broadens as they rise in academia. He has also said adapting to challenges and surviving them is a top skill. [1]

Personal life

Bokhari has said he does not force his children to come back to Pakistan. He has said his family bond with his parents was a key reason he came back. [1]

Timeline

1996-1997
Joined a government job, around these years.[1]
2002-2003
Joined COMSATS, by his account.[1]
2003
Took up a Commonwealth fellowship.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2026-03-31 Ninety universities became 270 and the budget never moved Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Dr. Habib Bokhari?

Dr. Habib Bokhari is a former Vice Chancellor of Kohsar University. He has been associated with COMSATS for almost 24 years. He has said he is currently an advisor to the Gates Foundation.[1]

What does Dr. Habib Bokhari do?

Dr. Habib Bokhari has said he is currently an advisor to the Gates Foundation. He has said he is a member of the board of trustees of the Pakistan Science Foundation and has an advisory role on a panel for Commonwealth scholar alumni. He has also said he regularly works with the British Council.[1]

Where did Dr. Habib Bokhari study?

Dr. Habib Bokhari studied at Government College Lahore. He did a master's and an MPhil in biotechnology and biochemistry at Quaid-e-Azam University. He also went to the University of Glasgow, a Russell Group university in the UK.[1]

What has Dr. Habib Bokhari researched?

Dr. Habib Bokhari worked on pertussis, which he calls kali khansi. He spent a year at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine working on diarrheal diseases. He also worked on a glyco-engineering vaccines platform.[1]

What fellowships has Dr. Habib Bokhari held?

Dr. Habib Bokhari took up a Commonwealth fellowship in 2003. He has said he also had a Fulbright and worked and taught in US universities. He has said he has served as a Fulbright evaluator.[1]

What are Dr. Habib Bokhari's views on higher education?

Dr. Habib Bokhari has said higher education has three core mandates: accessibility, quality and relevance. He has suggested identifying provincial excellence universities and converting one or two of them into a super research university. He has also said clusters of universities can talk to each other and support interdisciplinary work.[1]

References

  1. Ninety universities became 270 and the budget never moved . Thought Behind Things , 2026-03-31.
Show the source passages (45 statements)
  1. Dr. Habib Bokhari is a former Vice Chancellor of Kohsar University. former Vice Chancellor of Kohsar University
  2. He studied at Government College Lahore. Afterwords government college Lahore and then Quaid-e-Azam University
  3. He did a master's and an MPhil in biotechnology and biochemistry at Quaid-e-Azam University. Quaid-e-Azam University, did my masters and MPhil in biotechnology and biochemistry
  4. He was taught in government schools at first. trained and taught in government schools initially
  5. He has said a component of creative thinking, critical thinking and creativity that used to remain has now become rare. jisay creative thinking aur critical thinking aur creativity ka aik component jo qaim rehta tha. Woh ab nayab ho gaya
  6. He taught for three years and then had the opportunity of a Commonwealth scholarship. Taught for three years and then got this an opportunity of a commonwealth scholarship
  7. He joined a government job around 1996 to 1997. 96-7 mein came into the government job
  8. He went to the University of Glasgow, a Russell Group university in the UK. ended up in one of the university, University of Glasgow, you know, that about one of the member of the Russell group
  9. He worked on pertussis, which he calls kali khansi. worked on, you know, about pertussis, woh kinkhansi, kali khansi ke upar
  10. He has said no research on his topic, pertussis, was under way in Pakistan at the time. At that time there was no research going on that subject in Pakistan
  11. He took up a Commonwealth fellowship in 2003. to avail the commonwealth fellowship in 2003, which is very prestigious again in UK
  12. He spent a year at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine working on diarrheal diseases. they provided an opportunity for London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. To for a year worked on diarrheal diseases
  13. He worked on a glyco-engineering vaccines platform. also worked on a glyco-engineering vaccines platform
  14. He has said he had a Fulbright and worked and taught in US universities as well. Fulbright mein meray paas raha and I worked and taught in US universities as well
  15. He has been associated with COMSATS for almost 24 years. COMSATS ke saath pichlay almost 24 saal say associate hoon
  16. He has said he joined COMSATS in 2002 or 2003. 2002-3 mein jab main ne yeh Comsats join kiya tha
  17. He has said that 90 universities were present in Pakistan and that the number is now 270. 90 universities were present in Pakistan. Ab main dekhoon to 270 universities ho gayi hain
  18. He has said higher education has three core mandates: accessibility, quality and relevance. higher education ke teen hi main hote hain, un ka jo mandate hai, accessibility hai, quality hai, relevance hai
  19. He has said Pakistan's higher education has roughly two to two and a half million students. hamare yahan is waqt higher education ke andar agar do-dhai million student hai
  20. He has suggested identifying provincial excellence universities and converting one or two of them into a super research university. you can identify provincial excellence universities, ek center, do le lijiye and convert them into a super research university
  21. He has described a full process from invention disclosure to patent filing and acceptance. woh us ke ek pura process hai invention disclosure ka, patent filing karne ka, patent accept hone ka
  22. He has said a few success stories can transform the whole system. you need only a few success story to transform the whole system
  23. He has said the link between primary health and primary education needs work. This is something which we need to work and understand this link between a primary health and a primary education
  24. He has said Pakistan's education spending was listed at 0.8% of GDP. Pakistan ki jo education ke upar spend tha that was listed at 0.8% of the GDP
  25. He has mentioned Singapore as a small country where a workforce is prepared. Singapore bhi ek chota sa country hai, un ke andar jo workforce tayar ki jati hai
  26. He has said that if the agriculture and livestock economy is the top priority, the focus should be on bio economies. agar agriculture aur livestock ki economy top priority hai to let's uh bio economies ke upar focus karein
  27. He has said antimicrobial resistance will be a leading problem in the next few years. antimicrobial resistance will be a leading problem in next few years time
  28. He has said he recently brought children from villages into his laboratory. hum recently hum ne apni laboratory mein bache kisi gaon dehaton ke laye
  29. He has said practical and experiential learning in laboratories is very important. usmein practical component aur experiential learning is very important, jo laboratories ka component hai
  30. He has said clusters of universities can talk to each other and support interdisciplinary work. clusters of universities, which cannot only talk to each other, which can help you to work in an interdisciplinary environment
  31. He has said he tries to get a sabbatical every four or five years. every four or five years I try to get a sabbatical
  32. He has said reskilling and upskilling are very useful for training the workforce. Apnay aap ko re-skill karna, up-skill karna, that is something which is very useful nowadays
  33. He has said a professor's range of subjects broadens as they rise in academia. as you grow up or professor level pe pohanchtay hain, then your range of subjects hain woh broad ho jatay hain
  34. He has said he had the opportunity to work for other international organisations. I had an opportunity to work in other international organization as well
  35. He has said he is currently an advisor to the Gates Foundation. I'm currently also serving as an advisor to the Gates Foundation
  36. He has said he has an advisory role on a panel for Commonwealth scholar alumni. Commonwealth scholar of alumni jo aap ka panel hai us ke advisor ka role
  37. He has said he is a member of the board of trustees of the Pakistan Science Foundation. Pakistan Science Foundation ke andar main apna ek role board of trustee ke member
  38. He has said he has served as a Fulbright evaluator. As a evaluator, Fulbright ke evaluators ke tor pe
  39. He has said he regularly works with the British Council. bohat sara British Council ke sath kaam karta rehta hoon
  40. He has said he does not force his children to come back to Pakistan. I do not force them. I do not ask them to come back
  41. He has said his family bond with his parents was a key reason he came back. parents ke sath ek jo family ka bond hota hai aur woh bara ahem tha jo mujhe wahan wapas le ke aaya
  42. He has said he came from a government school and drew motivation and inspiration from his parents. from a government school and all those motivation, inspiration from parents
  43. He recalls teachers who came by bicycle and taught children for free. Ustaad jo the woh cycle pe aate the aur bachon ko free mein padha dete the
  44. He has said adapting to challenges and surviving them is a top skill. Par un challenges ke sath adapt kar lena, un challenges ke sath survive karna that's also a top skill
  45. He has said he had a chance to establish a new university. I had a chance to establish a new university as well