Miss Hafiza Safia Shaukat is a dedicated lecturer in the Department of Commerce at the University of the Punjab, Gujranwala Campus (PUGC), Pakistan. She is currently on study leave to pursue her PhD in Management at Universiti Sains Malaysia; her dissertation focuses on the “Impact of Ethical Leadership on Firms’ Sustainability in the Banking Sector of Pakistan.” Miss Hafiza completed her Bachelor of Commerce at PUGC in 2015 and subsequently earned her Master of Philosophy in 2017, with dissertation titled “Impact of Servant Leadership on Firm Performance with the Mediating Role of Organizational Innovation and Learning in the Manufacturing Industry of Pakistan.” She began her career as the Manager of Operations at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), where she honed her leadership and management skills in a high-pressure environment, as NBP is one of the largest and most reputable public banks in Pakistan. In 2019, she transitioned into academia by joining her alma mater, PUGC, as a lecturer. This shift from the banking industry to academia allowed her to integrate practical experience with scholarly insights.
Miss Hafiza is actively engaged in research aligned with her academic pursuits. Her research interests focus on leadership and management styles, organizational behavior, human resource management, auditing, and banking practices for sustainable growth and development. She has published numerous research articles in reputable national and international journals and is the author of two books including “Principles of Auditing” and “Business Organizations”. She has also presented her work at various international conferences and business exhibitions in different countries, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Turkey, Vietnam, and Singapore, establishing herself as a well-recognized scholar in her field and won best research paper awards. Moreover, she has conducted various research workshops as a facilitator and resource person on how to use different theoretical and analytical tools in research. She also plays a voluntary role as a member, reviewer, and editor for various research journals.
Moreover, she served as the President of the Postgraduate Research Society (PGSS) at the School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, from 2022 to 2024. She also served as the Cultural Ambassador for the “Asian Future Leadership program” in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2022 and 2023, where she played a key leadership role in promoting cultural exchange among ASEAN countries. In 2022, she participated the prestigious World Islamic Economic Forum in Penang, Malaysia, further expanding her international academic and professional network. Additionally, she represented Pakistan and USM at the International Young Future Leaders Summit 2024 organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, solidifying her role as a global cultural ambassador. She also joined the Asia Accounting and Business Conference as a research panelist held in Singapore in 2024.
Among her notable achievements, she was awarded Best Student of the Year in 2014 and served as the President of the debating, Literary and Performing Arts Society at PUGC. She passed the Junior Associateship of the Institute of Bankers Pakistan (JAIBP) in 2017 and received cash awards from the State Bank of Pakistan and the Best Performance Award in the capacity of branch manager operations from NBP in 2018. In 2022, she won the foreign fully funded scholarship for her PhD in Management.
In addition to her academic responsibilities, Miss Hafiza is in charge of the Debating and Literary Society at PUGC. She has been instrumental in organizing cultural and academic events that foster intellectual and creative growth among students. Her leadership in this role has been highly appreciated, and she continues to nurture student talent actively. Miss Hafiza is also a well-known Urdu poet, having performed at numerous cultural festivals across Pakistan, organized by both governmental and private institutions. Her poetic talents have earned her national recognition, and she continues to inspire others through her literary work.