Toaha Qureshi champions education access, awarding over £1.5 million in scholarships

London: British-Pakistani educationist and community leader Toaha Qureshi MBE is championing educational access and social mobility through a career that has combined academic leadership, substantial scholarship support and efforts to strengthen educational cooperation between the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

As chief executive of the School of Economics and Law (SOEL), formerly known as LCBMIT, Qureshi has helped lead institutions that have educated more than 5,000 students since their inception, with a particular focus on enabling talented individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education.

Under his leadership, SOEL has provided scholarships worth well over £1.5 million, reflecting his commitment to supporting deserving students, particularly those from Pakistan, whose academic potential may otherwise be constrained by financial difficulties.

Qureshi has made educational development a central pillar of his professional work, seeking to combine academic standards with a social welfare ethos. SOEL has received commendable status in an assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), according to his professional profile.

A significant aspect of his contribution has been the development of academic links between British and Pakistani universities, promoting institutional partnerships, quality enhancement and exchange programmes to broaden educational opportunities and encourage cross-border collaboration.

Qureshi has also been instrumental in developing a master’s programme in International Commercial Law in partnership with Buckinghamshire New University, an initiative aimed at expanding specialised legal education in the UK and overseas.

His academic engagement includes lectures and discussions at prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, the University of the Punjab, Forman Christian College, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law and the University of Peshawar.

Beyond academia, Qureshi serves as chairman of the Forum for International Relations Development (FIRD), a UK-based think tank specialising in conflict resolution. He has worked with government departments, law enforcement agencies, universities and community organisations on initiatives addressing radicalisation, interfaith relations and social exclusion.

His wider public service includes humanitarian assistance for displaced people, orphans, prisoners, former offenders and other vulnerable groups. He also chairs a London social housing association managing 250 properties, extending his involvement to housing and community welfare.

In recognition of his services to the community, Qureshi was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Through his work in education, humanitarian support and international cooperation, Qureshi has sought to create opportunities for disadvantaged communities while building stronger academic and professional connections between Britain and Pakistan.