The Department of Biotechnology was established in February 2012 at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, at its Chehla Campus through the efforts of Prof. Dr. Dilnawaz Ahmad Gardezi, Former Vice Chancellor. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nasim Khan was appointed as the founding Chairman of the Department.

It is a teaching and research department offering facilities in various contemporary disciplines of Biotechnology at M.Phil and Ph.D. levels. The department also aims to launch a BS (4-Year) Biotechnology program in light of the growing importance of the field. It welcomes students from across Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan to participate and excel in emerging biotechnological domains. The academic programs are designed to address significant scientific questions, adopt current technologies, and meet future challenges aligned with regional and global needs—especially in health, agriculture, industry, and education—using outcome-based teaching and learning frameworks.

The Department of Biotechnology aims to provide students with a strong foundation in the fast-growing field of biotechnology. The goal is to enable students to take leadership roles in promoting and applying modern biotechnology across Azad Jammu and Kashmir through high-quality education and research.

To build a department that equips students with foundational and advanced knowledge in biotechnology, while fostering the development of innovative technologies to address global challenges in health, food, and the environment.

The mission is to deliver quality education and conduct cutting-edge basic and applied research in biotechnology that addresses the emerging needs of society and the region. The department aims to train creative, flexible biotechnologists capable of contributing to scientific discovery and innovation.

• Biotechnology has a wide scope, ranging from diagnosis to treatment, agriculture to medicine, and from bioremediation to genetic engineering.
• It provides techniques to ensure safe, germ-free, and highly nutritious food and disease-resistant crops.
• Medical diagnostic laboratories require skilled biotechnologists to perform advanced diagnostic testing.
• Forensic departments rely on biotechnology for genome profiling and identification of individuals involved in criminal cases.
• Graduates can compete successfully in both academic and commercial biotechnology sectors in Pakistan.

Many graduates of the Department are currently working in prestigious academic institutions, research organizations, and industrial sectors.

Phone: +92-5822-960500
Email: biotechnology@ajku.edu.pk