Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq, Director, Institute of Agricultural and Resource Economics, completed his higher secondary school level education from local institutes. He completed his graduation and earned M.Sc (Hons) degree in Agricultural Economics in 1988. Later he won scholarship from the World Bank for higher studies in Australia and he went to University of New England, Australia in 1995 for his Ph.D studies. Dr. Muhammad Ashfaq successfully earned his Ph.D degree in 1999. Here he carried out his doctoral level research on the key issue of agricultural policy in Pakistan In 2006, he won HEC funded fellowship and went to University of Laval, Canada for his post doctorate.

Dr. Ashfaq has served as a major supervisor of two Ph.D scholars along with member of supervisory committee of two more Ph.D students. He has also served as major supervisor of more than 30 M.Sc (Hons) students and 15 master’s level student. Dr. Ashfaq was chosen as a HEC (Higher Education Commission of Pakistan) recognized supervisor for supervision of M.Sc/Ph.D studies which reflects his intellectual input in supervision of M.Sc/Ph.D studies. Dr. Ashfaq has also been actively involved in numerous national as well as international research projects. He is also serving as supervisor for ICDD, Kassel University, Germany

Apart from these activities, Dr. Ashfaq has published more than 55 research papers in different well reputed national and international research journals. He has also published three research reports and two books on the economies of water management and WTO. During his entire research career, Dr. Ashfaq has made wonderful efforts, with limited available resources, to contribute significantly in surging the economic aspects of agricultural productivity issues, poverty and water resource management.