From a small town in Gujrat, Akmal Shehzad grew up with a first-hand account of how an insufficient health system can play havoc with people's lives. In his community, a head injury often meant death. With poor road conditions and hospitals hours away, by the time care was reached, it was often too late. This was just a drop in an ocean of tragedies owing to a health system stretched too thin.
These lived realities inspired Akmal to become a doctor with the hope of improving systems at the grassroots level. He also had a dream: to establish a trauma care centre in the central Punjab, close to his home and other underserved areas.
Upon securing AKU's merit-based scholarship, its Medical College in Pakistan became the place where Akmal's potential found direction and his dream finally began to take shape. With support from faculty mentors, he discovered a passion for neuroscience and translational research that enabled him to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world application.
“AKU was a life-changing experience," he reflects. “I had clarity about my destination, but the goal was unrefined. AKU, through its training, mentorship, and environment, gave me the framework and skills to turn my dream into something realistic."
Outside the classroom, Akmal consistently chose spaces where he could serve, taking on leadership roles to empower others to do so as well. As head of the education department at Quadragon, he helped raise over PKR 1 million to support the schooling of 35 to 40 children of families in need. “I have had a similar journey and still remember the struggles," he says. “I wanted to give back. I know first-hand the life-changing power of education."
As Head of Research and later General Secretary of Society for Climate Conservation and Health (SoCCH) , Akmal led projects focused on climate education, sustainability, and ecosystem conservation, organising beach cleanups and helped build a framework for conducting our research based on climate change and health outcomes. He also helped carry out several medical and education camps in rural areas of Sindh through AKU's Off the Beaten Track program and other humanitarian partners. His achievements led to his selection in the Global Young Scientists Summit 2025, an international forum that brings together young researchers with Nobel laureates and leading scientists.
Through the AKU President's Climate Challenge in 2022 Akmal co-led the development of Cycluni, an eco-friendly university transport, initiative securing seed funding support up to 1 million PKR.
Akmal's future plans include a steady resolve to pursue further training and eventually return to serve his home region.
For AKU, Akmal represents the University at its best. He is living proof that a quality education can change one's life, and through it, many others, revealing what becomes possible when one student is empowered to serve others. Akmal's journey is not separate from the University's mission, it is its continuation.
From a small town in Gujrat, Akmal Shehzad grew up with a first-hand account of how an insufficient health system can play havoc with people's lives. In his community, a head injury often meant death. With poor road conditions and hospitals hours away, by the time care was reached, it was often too late. This was just a drop in an ocean of tragedies owing to a health system stretched too thin.
These lived realities inspired Akmal to become a doctor with the hope of improving systems at the grassroots level. He also had a dream: to establish a trauma care centre in the central Punjab, close to his home and other underserved areas.
Upon securing AKU's merit-based scholarship, its Medical College in Pakistan became the place where Akmal's potential found direction and his dream finally began to take shape. With support from faculty mentors, he discovered a passion for neuroscience and translational research that enabled him to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and real-world application.
“AKU was a life-changing experience," he reflects. “I had clarity about my destination, but the goal was unrefined. AKU, through its training, mentorship, and environment, gave me the framework and skills to turn my dream into something realistic."
Outside the classroom, Akmal consistently chose spaces where he could serve, taking on leadership roles to empower others to do so as well. As head of the education department at Quadragon, he helped raise over PKR 1 million to support the schooling of 35 to 40 children of families in need. “I have had a similar journey and still remember the struggles," he says. “I wanted to give back. I know first-hand the life-changing power of education."
As Head of Research and later General Secretary of Society for Climate Conservation and Health (SoCCH) , Akmal led projects focused on climate education, sustainability, and ecosystem conservation, organising beach cleanups and helped build a framework for conducting our research based on climate change and health outcomes. He also helped carry out several medical and education camps in rural areas of Sindh through AKU's Off the Beaten Track program and other humanitarian partners. His achievements led to his selection in the Global Young Scientists Summit 2025, an international forum that brings together young researchers with Nobel laureates and leading scientists.
Through the AKU President's Climate Challenge in 2022 Akmal co-led the development of Cycluni, an eco-friendly university transport, initiative securing seed funding support up to 1 million PKR.
Akmal's future plans include a steady resolve to pursue further training and eventually return to serve his home region.
For AKU, Akmal represents the University at its best. He is living proof that a quality education can change one's life, and through it, many others, revealing what becomes possible when one student is empowered to serve others. Akmal's journey is not separate from the University's mission, it is its continuation.
