22/08/2026
Professor Qasim Jan Receives Prestigious “China Friendship Award”
Dr. M. Qasim Jan, Emeritus Professor of Geology at the University of Peshawar and HEC Distinguished National Professor, has been honoured with the prestigious China Friendship Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to scientific collaboration and strengthening academic ties between Pakistan and China.
Dr. Qasim Jan is an internationally renowned scientist and academician and has made significant contributions to the field of geology through extensive research, teaching, scientific cooperation and academic leadership. He is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Islamic World Academy of Sciences and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He was also honoured with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Award for International Scientific Cooperation in 2024.
Dr. Qasim Jan obtained his BSc (Hons) from the University of Peshawar, MS from Oregon and PhD from London. His research has focused extensively on the geology of the NW Himalaya, Nagarparkar and Balochistan, particularly crust-building processes through mineralogical, petrological and tectonic studies. He has authored and edited hundreds of research papers and books and has delivered invited lectures and undertaken academic visits to institutions across Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and the United States.
He has also held several prestigious national and international positions, including Vice Chancellor of the University of Peshawar, Vice Chancellor of Sarhad University and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Provincial Interim Minister of Education, President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Founding Vice President of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), Secretary General of the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia, and President of the International Association of Natural Resources.
His remarkable services to science and education have earned him numerous national and international distinctions. These include the Distinguished Scientist of the Year awards, the ISESCO Science Prize, and honorary Doctor of Science degrees from King’s College London and the University of Leicester, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan Civil Award in 2010; Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan Civil Award in 1999; and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan Civil Award in 1994. He was also awarded the President’s Medal for Excellence in Teaching (Izaz-i-Fazeelat) in 1993.
The University of Peshawar takes immense pride in this prestigious international recognition of one of its distinguished scholars and former Vice Chancellors. The China Friendship Award is a testament to Dr. Qasim Jan’s lifelong dedication to scientific excellence, academic leadership and the promotion of Pakistan-China cooperation in science and higher education.
The University of Peshawar extends its heartfelt congratulations to Dr. M. Qasim Jan on receiving this prestigious honour and wishes him continued success in his academic and scientific endeavours.
Media Office
University of Peshawar
