The great thinker and educational reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who launched the Aligarh Movement to promote intellectual awareness and awakening among Muslims. Named after this great leader, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi is actively serving the nation’s youth in an excellent manner on the path of knowledge and awareness. Thousands of male and female students are associated with this institution, and it holds a distinct status and identity among academic institutions in Pakistan.

Akbar Ali Khan is currently serving Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology in the capacity of Chancellor. Soft-spoken in his manner of conversation, Akbar Ali Khan’s late father, Muhammad Zakir Ali Khan, is counted among the founders of the university established in 1993. His father played a significant role in shaping and strengthening this institution of learning.

However, Akbar Ali Khan known for his simplicity and reserved nature never sought to settle under the shadow of the tree planted by his father. Perhaps this is why, with a strong interest in the game of tennis, he moved to the United States as early as 1980. Akbar Ali Khan was a fine tennis player and earned a prominent position at the Asian level through his performance. While pursuing higher education in the U.S. state of Florida, he continued to play tennis as well.

After returning to Pakistan, Akbar Ali Khan kept himself detached from university affairs and politics. This was the reason he also did not take part in activities held on the platform of the Aligarh Association. However, from 2015 onwards, members associated with his father Zakir Ali Khan’s panel contacted him and encouraged him to take an interest in matters related to Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.

Nevertheless, Akbar Ali Khan did not show any particular interest in this regard. However, with his support, Javed Anwar did manage to assume the position of President.

Akbar Ali Khan says that he will always regret the fact that over the past ten years, Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology fell far behind. According to him, those ten years were virtually wasted, something he deeply regrets. In view of these circumstances and developments, members advised him to step into the field of action.

Akbar Ali Khan says it was a rather difficult decision by no means an easy one. However, throughout this entire process, his wife, Aram Akbar Khan, played a crucial role. She sensed the gravity of the situation and, with the guidance provided by the members and her own progressive outlook, encouraged her husband to take a bold step toward a better future for Sir Syed University and to embark on the journey of restoring this great institution of learning to its former brilliance.

As a result of a successful election in February 2025, Akbar Ali Khan assumed the position of Chancellor of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology. Fundamentally a sportsman, Akbar Ali Khan began working on an emergency basis for the institution soon after taking charge.

Akbar Ali Khan says that his foremost objective is to include Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology among the top-tier universities recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). He states that after assuming the office of Chancellor, record admissions were carried out, scholarships were awarded to students, and the foundation of several new faculty disciplines was laid among which the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most significant.

Akbar Ali Khan further says that his future goals include expanding the Sir Syed University campus and ensuring affordable and accessible education for middle-class male and female students, which he considers his mission.

In December 2025, Sir Syed University hosted the 46th Higher Education Commission (HEC) All Pakistan Inter-University Women’s Tennis Championship at its New Nazimabad campus.

As Chancellor, Akbar Ali Khan’s vision is to keep male and female students actively engaged in sports alongside education. Carrying this philosophy forward, Sir Syed University has awarded scholarships to prominent athletes, including Mirza Saad Baig, who led in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and Syeda Aroob Shah, who represented Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup, as well as other outstanding sportspersons from various disciplines.

Akbar Ali Khan, Chancellor of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, says that he aims to take the university even further in the field of sports in the future. With this objective in mind, the services of Olympian Sameer Hussain have been engaged in connection with the hockey team.

Appreciating the work of Mubashir Mukhtar and Nauman Ali in the Sports Department, Akbar Ali Khan says that with a strong and capable team, they will continue to play their role in promoting sports in Pakistan at the university level in the coming days.