PAF-IAST Held Its First Convocation on May 31, 2025, at the Convention Center Islamabad
Haripur, May 31, 2025 — The Pak-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAF-IAST) held its First Convocation Ceremony, on May 31, 2025, at the prestigious Jinnah Convention Center, Islamabad. This historic event celebrated the graduation of students from various academic disciplines, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s journey of excellence and innovation.
Speaking on the occasion, Rector Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mujahid shared his pride in the graduating class:
“Today, we are not simply celebrating the conferral of degrees. We are celebrating a vision fulfilled, a dream realized, and a legacy begun. The graduates before us today are not just the first batch of degree holders — they are the trailblazers, the pathfinders of a bold academic experiment that has taken root in the hills of Haripur and is destined to flourish on the global stage.”
The guest of honour, Prof. Dr. Atta Ur Rahman, addressed the graduating students in the following words:
“It is an immense honour for me to address this historic convocation — the very first in what I believe will become a long and illustrious tradition at Pakistan-Austria Fachhochschule: Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology. The model it is built upon — the Fachhochschule system of Austria — is globally recognized for its focus on applied sciences, industry integration, and workforce-ready graduates. This model does not merely fill classrooms; it fuels economies. It trains minds to not only understand knowledge, but to apply it meaningfully — in labs, in factories, in startups, and in society at large.”
The chief guest, Mr. Arshad Ayub Khan congratulated the graduating students on successfully completing their degree programmmes. He said that the government is committed to dedicating more funds to public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr. Sohail Naqvi emphasized the need for bridging the gap between knowledge and skills, between academia and industry, and between local potential and global standards.
The convocation ceremony recognized graduates from various cutting-edge programs, including Computing, Engineering, Biomedical Sciences, Information Design, and Railways & Transportation Engineering. A total of 484 degrees and 13 gold medals were awarded. The graduates included 15 students from Sri Lanka and 6 from Afghanistan.
The Convocation was attended by esteemed dignitaries, industry leaders, international academic partners, faculty, graduates, and their families. The ceremony celebrated academic achievement and reaffirmed PAF-IAST’s mission: to produce globally competent professionals equipped to drive Pakistan’s knowledge economy into the future.