Umar Saif

Umar Saif
SI
Picture of Dr. Umar Saif from an event at Arfa Software Technology Park
Federal Minister for Science & Technology, and Information Technology & Telecommunication
Caretaker
In office
17 August 2023 – 4 March 2024
PresidentArif Alvi
Prime MinisterAnwaar ul Haq Kakar
Preceded bySyed Aminul Haque
Succeeded byKhalid Maqbool Siddiqui (Science and Technology)
Chairman of Punjab Information Technology Board
Preceded byAgha Hassan Baloch
Succeeded byHabib-ur-Rehman Gilani
Personal details
NationalityPakistani
Alma materLahore University of Management Sciences
University of Cambridge
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Websiteumarsaif.org

Umar Saif (Urdu: عمر سیف; born 1979) is a Pakistani computer scientist and academic. He is known for his contributions to the tech ecosystem in Pakistan.[1][2][3][4][5][6] He is the founder and CEO of aiSight.ai (formerly SurveyAuto Inc.),[7] Chief Digital Officer of the Jang Group and CEO of Khudi Ventures. He served as interim Federal Minister For Science and Technology, as well as Minister of IT from August 2023 to March 2024.[8][9] He is also serving as an advisor to the United Nations Development Programme in Pakistan.[citation needed]

After studying computer science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Saif received his doctorate from the University of Cambridge at the age of 22. He then moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he did his postdoc. He returned to Pakistan in 2005 and joined LUMS where he taught as an associate professor of computer science between 2006 and 2013.[citation needed]

In 2011, Saif was appointed as chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and also became a cabinet member in Government of Punjab. During his tenure as a chair of the PITB between 2011 and 2018, he founded Pakistan's first technology incubator, Plan 9 and carried out more than 300 projects. Simultaneously, he served as the founding vice-chancellor of the Information Technology University from 2013 to 2018.[citation needed]

For his research, entrepreneurial ventures, and for being the brains behind digital governance of Punjab and one of the main driving forces behind the IT ecosystem in the country, he was awarded numerous notable awards and titles such as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Google's Faculty Research Award, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, UNESCO Chair for using ICT for Development, and was named as one of the top 35 young innovators in the world by the MIT Technology Review (TR35). He was named among The 500 Most Influential Muslims consecutively between 2015 and 2023.[citation needed]

  1. ^ High, Peter. "A Professor With A Western Past Remakes Pakistan's Entrepreneurial Future". Forbes. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem". www.techinasia.com. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  3. ^ m.bilal.lakhani (12 April 2018). "Why Umar Saif is an extraordinary Pakistani". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  4. ^ PPI (25 August 2011). "Pakistani among worlds top Young Innovators". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Pride of Pakistan: Umar Saif". Daily Times. 5 August 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  6. ^ Wahab, Abdul (13 November 2018). "Umar Saif is removed from his government position and this is how the social media is reacting". TechJuice. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  7. ^ "How aiSight Helped The World's Biggest Consumer Companies Find Their Way In Emerging Markets". Forbes. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  8. ^ Amin, Tahir (19 August 2023). "Umar Saif assumes charge as caretaker IT & Telecom minister". Brecorder. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  9. ^ Guramani, Dawn com | Nadir (17 August 2023). "Ministers of Interim PM Kakar's cabinet take oath". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 19 August 2023.