Ujala Akram, the President/Founder of Blackstone School of Law & Business, stands out as one of the key figures in international higher education in Pakistan, leading one of the largest providers in the sector. She is also the Founding Partner of Blackstone Law & Associates, a comprehensive law firm, and serves as the President of the National Women Lawyers Society in Pakistan. Her career in academia includes a significant tenure as Assistant Dean at Santa Clara University, situated in the dynamic and innovative Silicon Valley in California. Akram has also held the position of director at Santa Clara University, led an academic department within the United States Department of Defense (DoD), and was a senior advisor to the graduate law programs at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law—Indianapolis (IU McKinney School of Law). Her involvement with IU McKinney School of Law extended to a USAID grant-funded project that brought the law school’s LL.M. program to Cairo University and Alexandria University in Egypt.
Akram's research and publications focus on pivotal issues such as women's rights, minority rights, social justice, and the international protection of human rights. Her work is driven by a profound commitment to social justice and a belief in the importance of making high-quality education accessible to people from all walks of life. Lifting as We Climb: The Impact of Women's Leadership on Access and Equity in Global Higher Education