National Centre for Artificial Intelligence
Shaping Pakistan's AI Ecosystem
The National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) is Pakistan's flagship initiative to build a robust AI research and innovation ecosystem. Established under IGNITE and the Ministry of IT, NCAI unites academia, industry, and government toward a shared AI-powered future.
2018
Established
25+
University labs
500+
Researchers
10k+
Learners reached
Learning in action
Where curious minds become capable AI builders.
Practical education for a rapidly changing world.
From first experiments with code to applied research, NCAI helps learners build confidence through collaboration, mentorship, and hands-on problem solving.
10,000+
Professionals trained
25+
Research labs
What guides us
Built for credible, responsible impact.
Mission
To advance AI research, education, and innovation across Pakistan through collaborative excellence.
Vision
A knowledge-based Pakistan where AI drives economic growth, solves societal challenges, and improves lives.
Values
Integrity, collaboration, innovation, and impact guide everything we do at NCAI.
A National Initiative for AI Excellence
Founded in 2018 with support from the Government of Pakistan, NCAI was established to bridge the gap between academic research and industry application in artificial intelligence.
Operating through a nationwide network of research labs, NCAI coordinates cutting-edge AI research while building the human capital needed to drive Pakistan's digital transformation.
Our multi-disciplinary approach brings together computer scientists, domain experts, and policymakers to ensure AI solutions are grounded in real needs and responsible values.
Established
2018
Campus
UET Lahore
Team Size
500+ Researchers
Labs
25+ Universities
Key Achievements
- Established 25+ AI research labs across Pakistan
- Facilitated 250+ research publications in top venues
- Trained 10,000+ professionals in AI skills
- Supported 60+ AI startups
- Secured $30M+ in research funding
- Partnerships with Google, Microsoft, Meta, and more
- National AI policy advisory to the Government of Pakistan
- Open-sourced Pakistan's first large Urdu language corpus
Led by World-Class Experts
A multidisciplinary leadership network connecting research excellence, education, and real-world AI impact.
Prof. Dr. Umar Saif
Chairman
NCAI
Computer Science & AI Policy
Dr. Arif Zaman
Scientific Director
LUMS
Probability & Statistics
Dr. Faisal Kamiran
Technical Director
ITU Lahore
Fair Machine Learning
Dr. Mudassir Shabbir
Research Director
LUMS
Algorithms & Optimization
Dr. Kashif Javed
Lead Researcher
UET Lahore
Computer Vision
Dr. Asim Karim
Director Education
LUMS
Machine Learning
Trusted by Leading Organizations
LUMS
University
FAST-NUCES
University
UET Lahore
University
Industry
Microsoft
Industry
Meta AI
Industry
Amazon AWS
Industry
PITB
Government
MoIT Pakistan
Government
Ready to Collaborate?
Join our growing network of researchers, educators, and industry partners shaping the future of AI in Pakistan.