Office of the Vice Chancellor
Prof. Dr. Muhammad
Zafar Iqbal
Vice Chancellor · Thal University Bhakkar · Appointed January 2022
Prof. Dr. Muhammad
Zafar Iqbal
Vice Chancellor
Thal University Bhakkar
Academic Credentials
PhD, Computer Science
University of the Punjab, Lahore
2001
MSc, Computer Science
Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad
1996
BSc (Hons), Mathematics & Computer Science
University of the Punjab, Lahore
1993
Biography
Academic Leader. Institution Builder.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal is a distinguished academic and administrator with more than 25 years of service in higher education across Pakistan. Born and raised in Southern Punjab, he holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of the Punjab, Lahore (2001), and an MSc in Computer Science from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad (1996). His early academic work focused on distributed computing systems and computational theory, fields in which he published extensively throughout the 2000s.
Prior to his appointment as Vice Chancellor of Thal University Bhakkar, Dr. Zafar Iqbal served as Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Computing at a leading public university in Punjab, where he led the expansion of computing and engineering programs and spearheaded the establishment of the university's first research centre. He has also served as a Senior Fulbright Fellow and visited the University of California, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon University as a visiting scholar, an experience that profoundly shaped his vision for technology-driven education in Pakistan.
In January 2022, Dr. Zafar Iqbal was appointed the founding Vice Chancellor of Thal University Bhakkar by the Government of Punjab. He accepted this appointment as a personal mission: to bring quality public-sector higher education to one of the most underserved regions of the province. Under his leadership, the university enrolled its first cohort of students within months of establishment, launched five academic faculties, and secured Higher Education Commission recognition for 14 programs — a milestone achieved in record time for a newly established institution.
Beyond administration, Dr. Zafar Iqbal remains an active researcher and mentor. He chairs the University's Research Committee and personally supervises MPhil and PhD candidates. He has signed eight Memoranda of Understanding with leading industry partners including PITB, NTC, and regional agri-tech firms, creating pathways for student internships and collaborative research. His vision for TUB centres on three pillars: academic excellence, community relevance, and digital transformation of the Thal region.
“We believe every student from the Thal region deserves access to world-class education. That is our promise and our purpose.”
— Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal
Vice Chancellor, Thal University Bhakkar
3,600+
Students Enrolled since 2022
5
Faculties Established
14
Degree Programs Launched
8
Industry MOUs Signed
Previous Positions
Vice Chancellor
Thal University Bhakkar
Pro-Vice Chancellor
Government College University, Punjab
Dean, Faculty of Computing
Government College University, Punjab
Professor & Head of Department
University of Sargodha
Senior Fulbright Fellow
Carnegie Mellon University, USA
To Our Students
Message from the Vice Chancellor
To every student who walks through our gates — or aspires to — let me say this plainly: you belong here. Thal University Bhakkar was not established to replicate what already exists. It was established because this region, its people, and its young minds deserve a university of their own — one that understands their aspirations, speaks their language, and is invested in their futures.
The challenges you face — distance from opportunity, limited resources, the weight of family expectations — are not abstract to us. Our faculty have walked similar paths. Our staff are drawn from your communities. Every decision we make in this administration is filtered through one question: how does this serve our students? That question drives our scholarship programs, our hostel facilities, our digital infrastructure, and our partnerships with industry.
I urge you to approach your years at TUB with curiosity and discipline in equal measure. Education is not a transaction — it is a transformation. Use our library, engage your professors in debate, join our research programmes, represent this university at national competitions. When you succeed, the Thal region succeeds. That is our collective promise and our shared purpose.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal
Vice Chancellor, Thal University Bhakkar
PhD (Computer Science) · University of the Punjab, 2001