Babar Ilyas obtained his BSc and MSc Degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in Structural Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Pakistan. The primary emphasis of his research was the experimental evaluation of reinforced concrete structures under seismic loading. His MSc dissertation focused on the Retrofitting of Damaged Reinforced Concrete Frames using Haunch Retrofit Technique. The findings of his research have been presented and published in well-known peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Currently he joined the S4H Research Group, at the University of Minho, as a PhD Student where he will investigate experimentally the out-of-plane behavior of masonry structures using the shaking table.