A year of faculty development, student leadership, international mobility and community service from the Directorate of Training at AUST — told through the programs that shaped it.
It gives me great pleasure to present this edition of the Directorate of Training Newsletter, highlighting the remarkable achievements, initiatives and milestones from June 2025 to June 2026. This publication reflects our university's commitment to excellence, innovation and capacity building through meaningful training, professional development and collaborative engagement. I appreciate the dedication of the Directorate of Training, our faculty, staff, students and partners whose contributions made these accomplishments possible, and I encourage everyone to keep striving for excellence as we build a brighter future for AUST.
Training is not merely about organizing programs — it is about creating opportunities that inspire growth, build confidence and develop future-ready individuals. This year we organized faculty trainings, student leadership programs, international mobility initiatives, TEDxAUST and collaborative activities that reflect our vision of innovation and practical learning. I am especially proud of our interns and student volunteers, whose dedication and teamwork made these initiatives a success, and I thank everyone who contributed to building a stronger, future-ready academic community.
From the first BIC training in July to the internship policy briefing in June, here is how the Directorate's year unfolded.
The Directorate's first session under its new leadership equipped entrepreneurs at the Business Incubation Center with practical marketing, promotion and customer-engagement skills for scaling their startups.
Entrepreneurship
With Traffic Warden Hazara, student volunteers helped manage the heavy tourist influx in Nathia Gali during Independence Day, guiding visitors and supporting a safer, smoother holiday for residents and tourists alike.
Community Service
The first of a two-part program for ministerial staff focused on record keeping and effective communication — modern documentation, file management and the interpersonal skills that keep an office running smoothly.
Staff Development
Former interns Nyla, Aqib, Moomna and Zeeshan joined current interns Musa and Quratulain for a networking lunch, trading career insights and celebrating the mentorship culture of the internship program.
Alumni & Mentorship
AUST and UMT Malaysia signed an LoI opening the door to student mobility, faculty exchange, collaborative learning and future research partnerships — a first step toward the inbound mobility program that followed in May.
International Partnership
Dr. Hassan Jahangiri led an orientation on teaching methodologies, classroom management and student engagement, with a strong emphasis on mentorship as the foundation for academic growth.
Faculty Development
Interactive sessions introduced newly admitted students to academic life, and alumni guest speakers Nyla, Aqib, Moomna and Zeeshan encouraged them to embrace internships and leadership opportunities early.
Student Life
Student volunteers again partnered with Traffic Warden Hazara, this time in a week-long campaign to ease congestion, guide pedestrians and promote road-safety awareness in the city.
Community Service
In collaboration with Traffic Warden Hazara, the Directorate brought document verification, biometric processing and driving tests directly to campus — sparing students, faculty and staff a trip to external offices.
Public Service
The Directorate coordinated a conference visit for international guest Prof. Dr. Özcan, arranging academic meetings and technical sessions that opened new conversations on research collaboration.
International Partnership
Speakers Umair Jaliawala, Abdul Waris Hameed, Talat Azam Khan, Shalmee Emmanuel and Dr. Hassan Jahangiri shared ideas on leadership and resilience, with a poetry recital and live music rounding out the university's landmark event.
Flagship Event
Invited to Haripur, the Directorate ran a session on interview preparation, confidence building and professional presentation for final-year students heading into the job market.
Career Readiness
A session on organizational learning, workplace adaptability and lifelong skill-building gave business students a practical look at how professional development shapes a career.
Outreach
At Abasyn's Islamabad campus, the Directorate walked students through employability skills, personal branding and career readiness — closing with a lively question-and-answer session.
Outreach
Dr. Ayub Jadoon led the first session of a new in-house training program, focused on classroom engagement and student-centered teaching — the start of a broader push for teaching excellence across the university.
Faculty Development
Meetings with Prince of Songkla University (PSU) covered student mobility, internationalization and teaching innovation — groundwork for the academic cooperation agreement that followed.
International Partnership
The Director of Training joined the Assistant Commissioner, SSP Cantt and other dignitaries to discuss gender inclusion, leadership and equal opportunity in education and the workplace.
Panel Discussion
As moderator and keynote speaker at Jalal Baba Auditorium, Dr. Hassan explored the link between effective leadership, resilience and mental well-being in academic and professional life.
Wellbeing
A session on departmental management, institutional coordination and decision-making aimed to strengthen governance and collaboration across the university's departments.
Faculty Development
Academic planning, quality assurance and student support took center stage in a session designed to strengthen program coordination across departments.
Faculty Development
CRs from across the university built skills in conflict resolution and constructive communication, sharpening their role as the bridge between students and administration.
Student Leadership
The Inbound Mobility Program with UMT Malaysia brought 26 international students to AUST, paired with 12 student buddies, for a week of cultural exchange spanning Abbottabad, Galiyat and Lahore.
International Mobility
A session on integrating AI tools into teaching, academic planning and classroom engagement introduced faculty to practical applications for the modern classroom.
AI & Innovation
A follow-up session for Assistant Professors covered advanced AI applications in research productivity and academic management, with an emphasis on responsible adoption.
AI & Innovation
With internships now compulsory from the 4th semester, this session equipped coordinators to manage capstone projects and strengthen industry ties at an earlier stage of the academic journey.
Policy & Industry Links
Distinguished guests joined faculty and students to discuss social work as a career path, closing the year's calendar with a conversation on service, ethics and community impact.
Seminar
Hear it from our student Musa, who spent a few incredible weeks in Malaysia through AUST's International Mobility Program and came back with a lifetime of memories.
Not every story makes a headline. Some of the year's warmest moments happened between the sessions.
The Directorate of Training thanks everyone who showed up, volunteered, mentored and travelled to make this year what it was. Here's to the next one.
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