Meet the Winners 2026

Dr Nadia Nawaz Qadri

University of Essex

A Professor of Computer Engineering at COMSATS University Islamabad and founding lead of the Center for Innovation in Networks, Telecom and AI. Rising from a remote village in Sindh, she earned her PhD from the University of Essex, UK. With 22+ years of experience, 70+ publications, and U.S. patents, she is a pioneering leader in engineering education, research, and women’s empowerment in STEM.

Dr Nadia Nawaz Qadri

University of Essex

A Professor of Computer Engineering at COMSATS University Islamabad and founding lead of the Center for Innovation in Networks, Telecom and AI. Rising from a remote village in Sindh, she earned her PhD from the University of Essex, UK. With 22+ years of experience, 70+ publications, and U.S. patents, she is a pioneering leader in engineering education, research, and women’s empowerment in STEM.

Sauleha Kamal

University of Cambridge

An internationally published writer, cultural critic, and scholar whose work has reached over two million readers worldwide through The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and multiple anthologies. A Chevening and Cambridge Trust Scholar, she studied at Cambridge and earned her PhD at York. Author of the upcoming Empathy Industry, she has received the $25,000 Axinn/Anna Quindlen Prize and a Yaddo Fellowship in Literature, shaping global literary discourse.

Dr. Sauleha Kamal

University of Cambridge

An internationally published writer, cultural critic, and scholar whose work has reached over two million readers worldwide through The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and multiple anthologies. A Chevening and Cambridge Trust Scholar, she studied at Cambridge and earned her PhD at York. Author of the upcoming Empathy Industry, she has received the $25,000 Axinn/Anna Quindlen Prize and a Yaddo Fellowship in Literature, shaping global literary discourse.

Aon Bukhari

University of Surrey

A Chevening Scholar leading disability inclusion reforms as Special Secretary (Operations), Health & Population Department, Punjab. Aon has integrated services, expanded treatment access for 38,000+ children, trained providers, and supported caregivers. Inspired by his UK education and as Global Ambassador for the University of Surrey, he aims to scale rights-based disability inclusion nationally for differently-abled children in Pakistan.

Aon Bukhari

University of Surrey

A Chevening Scholar leading disability inclusion reforms as Special Secretary (Operations), Health & Population Department, Punjab. Aon has integrated services, expanded treatment access for 38,000+ children, trained providers, and supported caregivers. Inspired by his UK education and as Global Ambassador for the University of Surrey, he aims to scale rights-based disability inclusion nationally for differently-abled children in Pakistan.

Dr Murtaza Najabat Ali

The University of Sheffield

A leading medical device researcher, educator, and manufacturer in Pakistan and the USA. Dr Murtaza is a Brunel University MSc and University of Sheffield PhD graduate, he pioneered Pakistan’s first state-owned and private medical device industry and established its Biomedical Engineering program. He continues to advance research, teaching, and innovation, shaping the next generation of engineers and medical technology leaders in both countries.

Dr Murtaza Najabat Ali

The University of Sheffield

A leading medical device researcher, educator, and manufacturer in Pakistan and the USA. Dr Murtaza is a Brunel University MSc and University of Sheffield PhD graduate, he pioneered Pakistan’s first state-owned and private medical device industry and established its Biomedical Engineering program. He continues to advance research, teaching, and innovation, shaping the next generation of engineers and medical technology leaders in both countries.