Dr. Najeeba Arif
Chairperson, Pakistan Academy of Letters

 

Academic Qualifications:

  • Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship: SOAS, University of London (2013)

  • PhD Urdu Literature: AIOU, Islamabad (2003)

  • M Phil Iqbaliyat (Gold Medal): AIOU, Islamabad (1995)

  • MA English: NUML, Islamabad (2008)

  • MA Urdu (Gold Medal): Punjab University, Lahore (1987)

  • MPA (Bronze Medal): Punjab University, Lahore (1986)

Professional Career

 

Academic and Administrative Experience:

  • Chairperson, Pakistan Academy of Letters (2023 to present)
  • Dean, Faculty of Languages and Literature, International Islamic University, Islamabad (2021-2023)
  • Chairperson, Urdu Department, International Islamic University, Islamabad (2016-2021)
  • Professor, International Islamic University, Islamabad (2018-2021)
  • Associate/Assistant Professor, International Islamic University, Islamabad (2007-2018)
  • Assistant Professor / Lecturer at Islamabad Model College for Girls, F-7/4, Islamabad, and Federal Government College for Women, F-7/2, Islamabad (1992-2007)

 

Experience as a Language Expert:

  • Urdu Language Instructor, Korea Overseas Volunteers Program, UNESCO Culture Centre, Incheon, South Korea (August – October 2002)
  • Trainee Instructor, Teaching Urdu as a Foreign Language, University of Erfurt, German (July – August 2008)
  • In-charge CENTUF (Centre for Teaching Urdu to Foreigners), International Islamic University, Islamabad (2009-10)
  • Urdu Language Expert for the Rosetha Stone, USA (2010)
  • Member, General Editorial Committee for the Translation of Pakistan Code: Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of Pakistan (2015)
  • Member, Sub-Committee for Standardization of Translations, Federal Cabinet, Government of Pakistan (2015)

 

Editorial, Advisory, and Curriculum Development Experience:

  • Member, Editorial Board, Critical Pakistan Studies, a research journal jointly published by American Institute of Pakistan Studied (AIPS), University of Exeter UK and CEIAS Paris (2022- Present)
  • Founder Editor, Index of Urdu Journals, IIU, Islamabad (2013-23)
  • Guest Editor, Bunyād, a Journal of Urdu Studies, LUMS, Lahore (2013-16)
  • Founder Editor, Me‛yar, a bi-annual research journal of the IIUI (2009-10, 2021-23)
  • Member, Kamal-e Fan Award Committee, Pakistan Academy of Letters (2016)
  • Member, Intizar Hussain Literary Award Committee (2017)
  • Member of several academic/administrative bodies of the university and HEC including Board of Faculty, Board of Studies, Research Committee, Plagiarism Control Committee, Curriculum Committee, Advisory Board of magazine and Students’ Advisor etc.
  • Completed several research projects in collaboration with the British Council and HEC.
  • Member Advisory/ Editorial Boards of various Academic journals.
  • Principal Investigator: NRPU Research Project and IIUI Project
  • Reviewer Oxford University Press, Karachi (2017)
  • Curriculum Development for PhD, MS, MA, BS levels and courses for foreign learners of Urdu under various organizations including HEC, IIUI, and US experts.

 

Research Supervision, Evaluation, Mentoring and Conduct of Workshops:

  • PhD Dissertations: Supervised 15 PhD theses which have been defended successfully
  • MS Dissertations: Supervised 24 MS theses which have been defended successfully
  • Served as an Internal/External Research Evaluator in scores of research projects
  • Organized about two dozen workshops for students/teachers/trainers

 

International Conferences:

  • Attended more than 60 conferences/seminars to present research papers on diverse topics.
  • These include many international conferences/seminars/workshops on language, literature and culture in USA (2010), UK (2010, 2013), Germany (2008, 2013), Italy (2013), UAE (2010), Turkey (2007), South Korea (2002) and Thailand (1998, 1999)

 

Awards & Medals

 

  • 2016 Oxford University Press Award-2015 on Poetry Collection Ma'ani se Ziyada
  • 2010: IIUI Research Award 2009-10 on Rafta-o-Aainda
  • 2005: Intel Award 2004-05 for the Most Innovative Use of Technology in Education
  • 1995: Gold Medal in M.Phil, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad
  • 1987: Gold Medal in MA Urdu, University of the Punjab, Lahore
  • 1986: Bronze Medal in MPA, University of the Punjab, Lahore

Publications

Authored/Edited seventeen books, contributed chapters to a dozen of books and wrote more than articles in the national/international journals/encyclopedias.

 

List of books/monographs:

  1. Urdu Fiction: Mazahar-o-Mubahis - اردو فکشن: مظاہر و مباحث - (a critique on Urdu fiction). Lahore: Uks Publications, 2024
  2. Mukhauta مکھوٹا (novel). Lahore, Aks Publications, 2023
  3. Navah-e Kazima نواحِ کاظمہ (Arabic-to-Urdu versified translation of the Qasida Burdah). Islamabad, Emel Publications, 2022.
  4. Meethay Nalkay میٹھے نلکے (short stories). Karachi, Academy Bazyaft, 2022.
  5. Atharvin Sadi Kay Do Nadir Safar Namay اٹھارھویں صدی کے دو نادر سفرنامے (research on two rare 18th century travelogues). Lahore, Al-Faisal Nashran, 2021.
  6. Tarikh-i Jadid- Safarnam-i Munshi Ismail be Inglistan تاریخ جدید۔ سفرنامہ منشی اسماعیل بہ انگلستان - Qum, Iran, Nashr-I Majma’I Zakhira-I Islami, 2021.
  7. Raagni ki Khoj main راگنی کی کھوج میں (Memoirs). Lahore, Qausain, 2020.
  8. Sair-i Mulk-i Avadh سیر ملکِ اودھ (research & editing of a 19th century manuscript). Lahore, Pakistan Writers Cooperative Society, 2017
  9. Muntakhab Kalame Asghar Gondavi منتخب کلام اصغر گونڈوی (poetry compilation). National Book Foundation, Islamabad, 2016.
  10. Islam, Pakistan aur Maghrib: Ilmi-o AdabiTanazur اسلام، پاکستان اور مغرب: علمی و ادبی تناظر (critical essays on global socio-cultural issues). Islamic Research Institute, IIUI, Islamabad. 2015.
  11. Ma'ani se Ziyada معانی سے زیادہ (collection of poetry): Shehrzad, Karachi. 2015. (Award of the Best Literature Book of 2015, Oxford University Press, Pakistan).
  12. Talash: Allah, Mavara ka Ta’eyyun تلاش: اللہ، ماورا کا تعین (English-to-Urdu Translation of Uxi Mufti’s book Allah: Measuring the Intangible): Lahore, Faisal Publishers, 2012
  13. Buckkal De Vich Chor بکل دے وچ چور (collection of Mumtaz Mufti’s mystic short stories with an extensive introduction): Lahore: Al-Faisal Publishers, 2012
  14. 9/11 Aur Pakistani Urdu Afsana: Urdu Adab ka Nau MazahamatiRujhan نو گیارہ اور پاکستانی اُردو افسانہ: اردو ادب کا نو مزاحمتی رجحان (an anthology of contemporary short stories influenced by 9/11 with an extensive introduction), Islamabad: Poorab Adademy, 2011
  15. Mumtaz Mufti ka Fikri Irtaqa: Nafsiyat, Tasavvuf aur Quran ممتاز مفتی کا فکری ارتقا: نفسیات، تصوّف اور قرآن - (a research dissertation on Mumtaz Mufti). Lahore: Al-Faisal Publishers. 2011
  16. Me‛yari Urdu Qa‛ida معیاری اردو قاعدہ (co-researched with Dr. Moinuddin Aqeel and Rauf Parekh). Islamabad, National Language Authority, 2010
  17. Raftah-o-Aaindah: Urdu Adab ka Manzar Nama رفتہ و آئندہ: اردو ادب کا منظر نامہ (a critique on Urdu Literature). Islamabad, Poorab Academy, 2008
  18. Mumtaz Mufti: Shakhsiyat aur Fan ممتاز مفتی۔ شخصیت اور فن (life and works of Mumtaz Mufti). Islamabad, Pakistan Academy of Letters, 2007

 

In Process of Publishing:

  1. Tazkira-I Shu’ra-I Lucknow: Tadween, Taqdeem, Tehshiya تذکرہ شعراے لکھنؤ: تدوین، تقدیم، تحشیہ
  2. Junoob Asiai Musalmano ki Gharb Shanasi. (South Asian Muslims’ Concept of Europe: a Socio-Political Study of 18th century Travelogues)
  3. A Brief History of Sirah Literature in Urdu