Written by; Noor Fatima
For decades, the southern part of Punjab has grappled with a dire
situation regarding food, nutrition, and health. This ongoing crisis has
resulted in escalating food losses, increased disease rates, and higher
mortality. Furthermore, it has worsened existing poverty, economic
disparities, and overall well-being challenges for the local population. A
lack of awareness about the deleterious consequences of food
insecurity, malnutrition, stunted growth, compromised food safety and
quality, climate change, food wastage, and food adulteration has
further hindered the region's progress. The region was totally devoid of
any educational entity in order to upskill the general public in these
areas of particular interest and intervention. It was during the late
nineties when a comprehensive effort was needed to mitigate the
severe consequences of these aforementioned challenges and to
improve public health and economic prospects. Dr. Saeed Akhtar, who
began his tenure as a lecturer in food science and nutrition at
Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) in 1994, undertook the mission of
transforming the lives of the marginalized communities through the
application of Food Science and Nutrition in the often-overlooked
South Punjab region in an innovative and pragmatic way.
In 2012, he took the groundbreaking step of establishing an
independent Department of Food Science and Technology, aimed at
educating the local community in the fields of Food and Nutritional
Sciences. Subsequently, in 2014, he went even further, founding the
Institute of Food Science and Nutrition and assuming the role of its first
Director. His vision did not stop there. He continued to tirelessly work
towards the creation of a dedicated Faculty of Food and Nutrition at
the institutional level, covering a comprehensive range of research and
educational aspects within the domain of Food and Nutrition. His
unwavering efforts eventually bore fruit, resulting in the establishment
of an independent Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition at BZU
Multan. In 2022, he was appointed as the Dean of this faculty, where
more than 1500 students, pursuing degrees at the BS, MS, and PhD
levels, now satisfy their thirst for education and training in the fields of
food and nutritional sciences.
These graduates are now poised to make significant contributions not
only to enhance the state of food and nutrition in Pakistan but also on
an international scale. It's challenging to adequately convey the myriad
difficulties and obstacles he faced during his 28-year journey from
obscurity to enlightenment. Nevertheless, he embraced this daunting
task with all his intellect, energy, and available resources, effecting a
transformative change.
One key element contributing to regional development is the growing
awareness within this community of the transformative effects of an
enhanced food and nutrition landscape on public health. Dr. Akhtar's
trailblazing initiatives in introducing a variety of degree programs in
Food Science and Nutrition have served as a catalyst, inspiring
institutions of higher education in the region to broaden their academic
horizons in this vital domain. As of today, roughly ten public and private
universities, along with their associated colleges in South Punjab, have
embarked on the journey of offering specialized degree programs in
this field, further fueling the momentum of progress.
The unwavering dedication of a single individual has yielded far-
reaching economic benefits, not just at the national level, but also
regionally and even on the international stage. Dr. Akhtar's unrelenting
commitment to his profession and the well-being of the people of
South Punjab, and indeed all of Pakistan, has led to the significant
development and expansion of the Food and Nutrition sector
nationwide. Such remarkable achievements certainly warrant a sincere
acknowledgment at national level.
Dr.Akhtar is a highly accomplished Tenured Professor of Food Sciences
with a profound commitment to improving people's lives through the
science of food and nutrition. He earned his doctoral degree from the
University of Agriculture in Pakistan and further honed his expertise
through post-doctoral training at Oregon State University in the USA,
specializing in nutrition, food safety and food microbiology. Dr. Akhtar
also served as a courtesy Assistant Professor at OSU in the USA. As a
prolific researcher, Dr. Akhtar has made significant contributions, with
an impressive portfolio of 125 research articles and reviews published
in esteemed international peer-reviewed journals. These publications
boast a cumulative impact factor of 400, with an astounding 3040
citations in the ISI Web of Science and a remarkable h-index exceeding
30. Additionally, he has authored numerous book chapters, including a
noteworthy publication on " Neglected Food Plants of South Asia" by
Springer.
Since 2019, he has consistently been included in the list of the world's
top 2% scientists authored by John P.A. Ioannidis Prof of Medicine
Stanford Prevention Research, Stanford University and published by
Elsevier. Dr. Akhtar's dedication to research excellence has earned him
prestigious accolades, including the Research Productivity Award from
the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST), Ministry of
Science and Technology, in the years 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016. He
was also distinguished as a top-ranked researcher in the directory of
the Most Productive Researchers of Pakistan, published by PCST in
2017. Dr. Akhtar's contributions to the field of Vitamin D research were
further acknowledged with a Certificate of Appreciation from the
organizing committee of the 6th International Conference titled
"Vitamin D Deficiency, Nutrition, and Human Health" in Abu Dhabi,
UAE. In addition to his extensive research and industry’s experience,
Dr.Akhtar boasts 30 years of educational expertise, having taught a
wide range of courses in Food Safety, Food Processing, Nutritional
Science, and Agriculture at the university level. His commitment to
teaching excellence led to the prestigious Best University Teacher
Award from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in both 2016
and 2022. Throughout his career, he has held various administrative
positions within the university, including Director of the Office of
Research and Commercialization, Director of Estate Management, and
Project Director. His significant role in policy-making and execution was
notably evident during his tenure as the chairman and member of
various statutory and non-statutory bodies, including the university's
Syndicate.
Dr. Akhtar actively contributed to academia as a member of numerous
editorial boards for academic journals and served as the Editor in Chief
of the International Journal of Food and Allied Sciences. He is also a
sought-after reviewer for several top-ranked international peer-
reviewed journals. His international affiliations extend to organizations
like the American Society of Microbiology and the American Society of
Nutrition. Dr.Akhtar has forged multiple Memorandums of
Understanding with international universities, fostering collaboration in
the field of Food Science and Nutrition. Beyond his research and
academic roles, Dr. Akhtar extends his expertise to various national and
international institutions, participating as theses evaluator, member of
the Board of Advanced Studies and Research Selection Board, and
Doctoral theses evaluation committees. He has presented his research
findings in countries such as the USA, Australia, and various Middle
Eastern nations.
As a chief organizer, Dr. Akhtar has skillfully managed multiple
international conferences, inviting researchers from across the globe to
deliberate on crucial topics in Food and Nutrition, Food Security, and
Climate Change within Pakistan. His remarkable accomplishments also
include securing research grants from both national and international
funding organizations. Furthermore, Dr. Akhtar's innovative research
has resulted in the development of patented technology for the
industrial production of mango kernel oil in Pakistan. He has also
supervised the academic journey of more than 12 PhD scholars and
over 70 M.Phil. students, leaving an indelible mark on the field of Food
Science and Nutrition. Dr. Akhtar succeeded to win multiple research
grants from local and international organizations. He has successfully
completed research projects with Institute for Global Health and
Development (IGHD) AKU, HarvestPlus, GAIN, Mott MacDonald UK,
Punjab Skill Development Fund, HEC, PSF, PARC etc. He holds a
fellowship at INTI International University, Putra Nilai Sambilan,
Malaysia, where he continues to play a significant academic role. In
addition, he has been actively offering consultancy services to
numerous organizations in the fields of Food Processing, Nutrition, and
Food Safety.
