A Liverpool Hope University graduate has been honoured with a prestigious award which recognises the outstanding achievements of international alumni from UK universities.
Adil Raza, who graduated with an MSc in Distributed Systems in 2006, won Pakistan’s Business and Innovation category at the 2022 British Council Study UK Alumni Awards.
The awards recognise and celebrate the benefits studying at a UK university has had upon an individual, their community and country.
Adil, who now works in a senior role in regional government in the Pakistan province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claimed the Business and Innovation prize after leading a digital transformation project credited for introducing a citizen-centric approach to governance.
The 42-year-old oversaw the development of the Pakistan Citizens’ Portal, a smart phone app that connects the public with more than 10,000 government officials, and the largest grievance resolution system in the country.
Since its inception it has received more than six million downloads and is responsible for helping the government become a paperless organisation.
“I was very pleased to secure this prestigious award,” he reflected.
“I work in the government to create technology-based solutions for both internal processes and citizen support and I love my job because the impact it has makes it very rewarding.”
As the Deputy Director of the Performance Management Unit within the Office of the Chief Secretary, Adil has been influential in modernising Pakistan’s public sector, but the foundations for his successful career were laid at Liverpool Hope.
He has fond memories of his two-and-a-half years at a University he believes gave him the tools to succeed professionally and his recollections of living in Liverpool are equally as positive, describing the city as an ideal location for international students due to its history of multiculturalism.
“Liverpool Hope is a great place for international students because the cultural diversity of Liverpool is superb,” he added.
“It is a historic city that offers much to explore and the people are loving and caring.
“I learnt a lot from my studies and the time I spent at the University helped me prepare for my career in different ways.
“The lecturers were all very supportive and the University’s Careers and Employability team helped me get my first part-time job which was the first step in my professional life.”