S. M. Junaid Zaidi

Syed Muhammed Junaid Zaidi ; known as S. M. Junaid Zaidi (born 19 July 1949) is a Pakistani scientist, entrepreneur and educator. He is the founding rector of the COMSATS University Islamabad.

Junaid Zaidi(S.I, H.I) took the post of the Executive Director of Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (COMSATS) in Islamabad, Pakistan on February 27, 2017.

Positions held He has served the government of Pakistan as the Director General of the National Center for Technology Transfer, (1991–95) and as "Scientific Secretary & Chief S&T" with the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (1995–98). From 1998 to 2017 he was the Founder Rector of the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), which was awarded Charter by the Government of Pakistan in 2000. After retiring from CUI, he is serving as the Executive Director of COMSATS, since March 2017.

Awards and recognition Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award by the President of Pakistan in 2006. Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) Award by the President of Pakistan in 2015. The NCR Corporation award “IT Pioneer 1987-1995” in the year 2000. Doctorate of Science Honoris Causa, University of Lancaster, 2012. Center of Islamic Finance - Special Award in 2017 for over 15 years. He got embroiled in a corruption and malpractice scandal of the NTS and faced charges in the accountability court. Dr Junaid Zaidi has also come under severe criticism from a parliamentary committee, a sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for his central role in the controversial Dual Degree programme (DDP) which was started illegally without the approval of Higher Education Commission and put at stake the future of 2,532 students. There have been allegations of money-laundering of nearly 6 million Pounds in the DDP case which is being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

In 2018, the Minister of State for Science & Technology, Mir Dostain Khan Domki, claimed in the media that Comsats University and NTS were being run by a "mafia" who were involved in corruption.