Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad assumed office as Executive Director of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) on 2 November 2026. He is a scholar of International Relations, academic leader and public policy practitioner with more than three decades of experience in higher education, institutional governance, national development and international cooperation. He is Professor Emeritus at the School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Before joining COMSATS, Dr Ahmad served as Member of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, where he led development communication, contributed to national development priorities and policy coordination, and oversaw a substantial portfolio of public-sector development initiatives.

As Vice Chancellor of the University of Sargodha, he led institutional reforms, strengthened governance and financial sustainability, expanded research infrastructure, and promoted digitisation, innovation and international academic partnerships, particularly with China. Dr Ahmad served as Pakistan Chair/Quaid-e-Azam Fellow at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, advancing scholarship on Pakistan and South Asia and strengthening international academic and policy engagement. He also held academic and administrative positions at Quaid-i-Azam University and Eastern Mediterranean University in Northern Cyprus, contributing to academic development, institutional management and internationalisation.

An active researcher, author and policy commentator, Dr Ahmad has published extensively on international relations, Pakistan's foreign policy, international security, regional cooperation and the Global South. His scholarly and policy engagements span China, Europe, North America, Russia, Central Asia and the Middle East. He has contributed to international academic forums, research institutions and public policy debates across these regions. Dr Ahmad holds a PhD in American Studies (International Relations) from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.