PhD (International Business), Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, 1999

MSc (Macroeconomic Policy and Planning), University of Bradford, 1995

MA (Economics), Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 1987

Dr. Akhtar is serving as Professor of Finance at Fast School of Management, FAST National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan. He completed his MSc from the University of Bradford, UK and earned his PhD in the area of international business from the University of Leeds, UK. As per QS ranking 2024, the University of Leeds from UK stands at 75, being among the top 100 Universities of the World.
Dr. Akhtar has also led the Department of Commerce twice at Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan where he managed to introduce three degree programs namely; BS Islamic Finance, BS Accounting and Finance and BS Commerce. These programs have achieved a great respect in the job market both within Pakistan and outside the country. Dr. Akhtar has been the Chair at Department of Finance and Accounting of Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for about 7 years where he managed to launch an MBA program which is well-regarded in the Middle East. He has also availed a fellowship at Leeds University Business School (LUBS), UK under the Charles Wallace Trust/British Council fellowship scheme. He is a fellow at LUBS, University of Leeds, UK. Dr. Akhtar has a vast experience of dealing and working both with the international and local accreditation agencies like AACSB from USA, NCAAA from Saudi Arabia and locally with the NBEAC from Pakistan.
Dr. Akhtar managed to establish the Meezan Centre of Islamic Finance (MCIF) in the year 2022 in collaboration with the Meezan Bank Limited, Pakistan. The Centre is the first and the only one in South Punjab region and aims at offering courses on Islamic Banking and Finance to cater the needs of Islamic finance industry in the region. He has served as the pioneer Director of Meezan Centre of Islamic Finance (MCIF) at Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
He has also served as Chairman, Selection Committee for the BPS (1-16), member, Finance and Planning Committee (F&PC), member, Advanced Studies and Research Board (ASRB) and also as Chairman, Schedule of New Expenditures (SNE) for the years 2020-24.
Dr. Akhtar has a great deal of teaching and research experience both locally and internationally. He has been teaching in UK at University of Leeds and Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia along with Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. His research is mainly driven towards financial institutions, corporate finance, international business and macroeconomic issues. He has also accomplished five research projects both locally and internationally. His teaching interests currently fall into the areas of Islamic finance, financial management, corporate finance, financial markets and risk management.