The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Tuesday awarded 47 university teachers for their overall performance as best teachers.In what is fast becoming an annual tradition, the HEC presented the teachers with certificates and souvenirs for the Best University Teacher Award 2015 and Rs100,000 cash awards. The awardees were selected from universities across the country based on their performance and after fulfilling a merit-based evaluation and nomination criteria.State Minister for Federal Education Balighur Rehman, who was the chief guest, said that, “if we are to make progress, we have to respect our teachers”.He added that teachers build a nation’s character and urged them to spread optimism and counter disappointment in society.Earlier, HEC chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said that merit was strictly followed in the selection of awardees.“Being academic leaders, teachers have a huge responsibility in training the youth for social progress. Play your role in addressing differences developed in the nation on different grounds,” the chairman emphasised.This years awardees from Islamabad include FAST’s Computer Science Department Head Dr Waseem Shahzad, Quaid-e-Azam University Mathematics Department Prof Dr Sohail Nadeem, PIEAS Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Aftab Rafiq, IIUI Professor Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Dr Nabi Bux Jumani, Bahria University Computer Engineering Associate Professor Dr Amina Jameel, NUML Urdu language and literature Assistant Professor Dr Muhammad Shafique Anjum, NUST Department of SEECS Associate Professor Dr Sharifullah Khan, and Riphah International University Associate Professor Dr Khadija Shahid,Teachers awarded from Punjab included GCU Physics Department Associate Professor Dr Nouman Sarwar Qureshi, UET Taxila Civil Engineering Department Professor Dr Liaqat Ali Qureshi, Sargodha University Chemistry Department Associate Professor Dr Abdul Rauf Raza, University of Management and Technology Lahore Chemistry Department Associate Professor Dr Sammia Shahid, GCU Faisalabad Botany Department Associate Professor Dr Naeem Iqbal,Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi Environmental Sciences Department Assistant Professor Dr Rohama Gill, Punjab University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology Professor Dr Mahmood Saleem, Bahauddin Zakariya University School of Economics Director Prof Dr Imran Sharif, University of Education Botany Department Associate Professor Dr Abrar Hussain, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Clinical Medicine and Surgery Department Assistant Professor Dr Muhammad Ijaz, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi Economics Department Prof Dr Abdul Saboor, UAF Chemistry Department Prof Dr Ijaz Ahmad Bhatti.Teachers from Sindh included IQRA University Engineering Department Associate Professor Dr Engr Muhammad Zubair, NED Civil Engineering Department Assistant Professor Dr Farrukh Arif, Sindh Agriculture University Veterinary Parasitology Department Prof Dr Abdullah Arijo, LUMHS Pathology Department Dean Prof Ikramuddin Ujan, Hamdard University Eastern Medicine Department Associate Professor Dr Tasneem Qureshi, Aga Khan University Assistant Professor Dr Sadia Bhutta, SIBA Electrical Engineering Department Prof Dr Madad Ali Shah, University of Sindh Institute of Biochemistry Prof Dr Allah Bux Gahghro, DOW Department of Medicine Vice Principal Prof Dr Abu Talib, FUUAST Physics Department Assistant Professor Dr Syed Rizwan Ali, SMBB Medical University Medical Dept Prof Aijaz Ahmed Memon.The teachers from K-P include Islamic Studies Abdul Wali Khan University Dept Associate Professor Dr Hafiz Salihuddin, Kohat University of Science and Technology Microbiology Dept Assistant Professor Dr Hazir Rahman, COMSATS Pharmacy Dept Associate Professor Dr Abdul Jabbar Shah, Hazara University Chemistry Dept Associate Professor Dr Wajid Rehman Gora, GIK Computer Science and Engineering Dept Associate Professor Dr Fawad Hussain, University of Agriculture Peshawar Poultry Science Dept Chairman Prof Dr Sarzamin Khan, University of Malakand Sciences Department of Mathematics Dean Prof Dr Rahmat Ali Khan, Peshawar University Archaeology Dept Dr Nasim Khan,Shaheed BB University Assistant Professor Dr Midrarullah, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar Mathematics Dept Assistant Professor Dr Rubi Bilal, Gomal University Agronomy Dept Chairman Dr Ejaz Ahmad Khan, and University of Science and Technology Chemistry Dept Assistant Professor Dr Hidayatullah Khan.From Balochistan, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences Economics Dept Associate Professor Dr Abdul Salam Lodhi and Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water Marine Sciences Marine Sciences Dept Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Aslam.From Azad Jammu and Kashmir, University of AJK Geology Dept Prof Dr Rustam Khan, and MUST Science Faculty Dean Prof Dr Rehana Asghar.Published in The Express Tribune, December 28, 2016.