Strengthening the Research Culture: Dr. Azfar Nisar Appointed Associate Dean, Research

Dr. Muhammad Azfar Nisar, Associate Professor of Public Policy & Administration at the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB), has been appointed Associate Dean of Research. In this role, Dr. Nisar will lead efforts to foster a vibrant research culture at SDSB that values excellence and impact across a broad spectrum of scholarly contributions.

"As we continue to evolve as a business school, we want to broaden the definition of impactful scholarship to include work that contributes to academic conversations and addresses the pressing needs of business and society,” said SDSB Dean Dr. Adeel Zaffar. “Dr. Azfar’s vision and experience uniquely position him to help SDSB strengthen its research connections to local and regional industries, particularly in the post-COVID context."

Dr. Nisar will build on SDSB’s existing strength in producing high-quality academic scholarship, while also promoting projects that engage more directly with industry, government, and society. The goal is to make research at SDSB not only academically rigorous but also practical in addressing challenges in Pakistan and the region, while contributing new insights to global discussions on policy and management.

Dr. Nisar’s research spans public management, policy implementation, health policy, gender identity, and responsive governance. His award-winning work has appeared in top international journals, and his book Governing Thirdness: State, Society and Inclusion of Non-Binary Identities (Cambridge University Press), which explored questions of identity and citizenship among the Khawaja Sira community of Pakistan, was awarded the Best Book Award by the Academy of Management Public and Non-Profit Division. He has also served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and sits on the editorial boards of multiple leading international journals.

His scholarship has been recognised with numerous awards, including the William E. Mosher and Frederick C. Mosher Award for the best article in Public Administration Review, the Article of the Year Award from Administrative Theory & Praxis and Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, and the Best Dissertation Award from the Public and Non-Profit Division of the Academy of Management. His methodological approach combines qualitative and quantitative traditions, from ethnographic fieldwork to social network analysis.

Dr. Nisar earned his PhD in Public Administration and Policy from Arizona State University in 2016. He also holds a Master of Public Policy and an MA in International Area Studies from the University of California, Berkeley; an MA in Economics from the University of the Punjab; and an MBBS from King Edward Medical College, Lahore. Before joining academia, he served in the Pakistan Administrative Service, where he held administrative roles across the country.

Commenting on his new role, Dr. Nisar said, “This is an exciting opportunity to support my colleagues in producing excellent and relevant scholarship. I look forward to strengthening our engagement with industry, government, and society in ways that amplify SDSB’s impact as a hub of knowledge and ideas.”