In a move aimed at transforming Pakistan’s academic publishing landscape, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) inaugurated its Department of Medical Journalism alongside the Intercollegiate Journalism Consortium (IJC). The initiative, unveiled at the UHS City Campus under the theme “Strengthening Editorial Collaborations,” seeks to standardize editorial practices and foster collaboration among medical and dental college journals across Punjab.
Punjab’s Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education, Khawaja Salman Rafique, attended as chief guest, lauding UHS for its commitment to ethical publishing. Calling academic publishing the “backbone of evidence-based medicine,” he praised UHS for setting new benchmarks and linked the effort to the provincial government’s broader healthcare reforms under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, including hospital expansions and new constructions.
The event brought together editors, academics, and faculty from across the province to discuss improving publishing standards, expanding editorial networks, and training future editors. UHS Pro-Vice Chancellor and Editor-in-Chief of BioMedica, Professor Nadia Naseem, highlighted that 225 editors have already been trained through UHS programs, with 30 medical colleges now publishing their own journals. She also announced the creation of a dedicated Journal Office to mentor students and faculty in editorial skills, positioning UHS as a regional hub for medical journalism.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ahsan Waheed Rathore emphasized the department’s role in UHS’s larger vision for academic excellence, citing the progression from short courses in 2019 to a WHO-EMAME-accredited postgraduate diploma in medical journalism. Other speakers, including Fatima Jinnah Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Khalid Masood Gondal and PSIM President Prof. Dr. Javed Akram, stressed the need for global visibility of Pakistani research and integration of research writing into undergraduate curricula. Shaukat Ali Jawaid, Chief Editor of the Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, called for consistent institutional backing to sustain higher editorial standards.
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While the initiative was widely praised as a milestone for Pakistan’s scientific publishing, experts cautioned that lofty ambitions must be matched by practical outcomes. Without long-term funding, transparent editorial policies, and genuine commitment from participating institutions, the consortium risks becoming another well-intentioned project struggling to deliver lasting change. For now, UHS’s bold step has set the stage—but the real test will be in its execution.