Dr. Abdul Samad

Dr. Abdul Samad is a highly accomplished Presidential Civil Award-Winning professional archaeologist from Pakistan with extensive academic and professional credentials. He holds a Ph.D. from the Free University Berlin, Germany, and completed a Fulbright post-doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, USA. With two decades of experience, he has made exceptional contributions to archaeology through thirty successful projects.

Dr. Samad's career includes almost a decade of teaching at Hazara University, after which he assumed the role of Director of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums for the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. He oversees thirteen museums and the preservation and management of over five thousand archaeological sites, including two world heritage sites. He plays a pivotal role in securing funding for the development and conservation of the cultural heritage within the province.

His professional journey involves an array of national and international projects, such as directing the conservation of the Gor Khatri Western Gate and Sethi House in Peshawar, funded by the Gerda Henkel Stiftung, and co-directing the preservation of the World Heritage Site, Takht I Bahi, supported by the US State Department. He has also undertaken projects on the Kalash culture, collaborated with renowned institutions like the British Council and the University of Leicester, and contributed to research on Gandhara Jataka stories in partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University.

In addition to his extensive project portfolio, Dr. Samad has been honoured as a guest fellow at Tsinghua University in China. He is dedicated to establishing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a hub for religious tourism, aiming to enhance bilateral relations and boost Pakistan's tourism sector, leading to economic benefits.