2012

Shaikh Muhammad Ali

[SUCCESS COMES IN ‘CANS’

AND NOT ‘CANNOTS’!]

Success comes in Cans! Page 1

Overview:

I left the ‘City of Light’ i.e. Karachi for Islamabad, the ‘Garden City’ on 5th July 2002 and joined the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on 15th July 2002 leaving a job in the private sector and joining the Government of Pakistan on contract. Leaving Karachi is not easy and especially if you are moving to a slow place like Islamabad, then you must be crazy in the head to do so. Karachi is full of life and moves at a breakneck speed like any other fast cities in the world i.e. New York, Chicago, London, Dubai, Tehran, Cairo and Bombay for that matter.

Equivalent to a 19 Grade officer; I was appointed as a Project Director to manage indigenous scholarship programs at the Bachelor and Master level for 200 government servants who belonged to BPS 17-19 scales. After having worked for around 14 years in the private sector in some eight countries which included Pakistan, this was my first experience to work for the government. Not realizing what a government job would entail; I joined the bandwagon with no strings attached. I must hasten to add that after working for over 10 years in the government; I carry no regrets

Dr. Ata ur Rahman (The visionary, The Literati) was our Minister then and almost a month after my hiring; Dr. Sohail Naqvi joined us as our Member (HRD). Within a span of six months, Dr. Ata ur Rahman was talking to the then President (of the country) Generalissimo Pervaiz Musharaf and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) came into being on 11th September 2002. Dr. Ata was asked to become the Chairman and Dr. Sohail Naqvi was brought in to steer this ship. I joined the HEC on 5th February 2003 along with my team and there was no turning back.

My first project with the HEC completed around December 2005 while in the meantime, I was able to send 38 PhD scholars to China against the scheme titled ‘PhD Scholarship for Engineering Sciences, China’ in September 2003 and yet again was able to send 48 scholars to the same country against the scheme titled ‘PhD scholarship for Basic Sciences, China’ in September 2004. These scholars were sent to some 18 different universities mostly in Beijing while a few went to the ‘Moscow of the East’ i.e. Harbin which was as cold as an Igloo while some went down south in Zhejiang in Hangzhou province and the rest were scattered in between.

Once my previous project expired around December 2005, I was rehired by HEC (without a day’s break) to manage the ‘Weaker Universities’ scholarship program. With a passion to create a breed of highly qualified manpower in high-tech fields including Natural and Basic sciences and to facilitate assimilation, absorption and transfer of important and promising technologies to achieve rapid economic progress; the HEC launched the ‘MS / M.Phil. leading to PhD scholarships for teachers of Weaker or newly established universities of Pakistan’ in late 2004.

The Scheme envisaged MS/M.Phil. leading to PhD level training in advanced Natural / Basic Sciences, Social Sciences / Humanities and six months language course (as required by the selected countries) for 100 full time faculty members; working on regular basis in less equipped

Success comes in Cans! Page 2

and newly established universities within Pakistan, at reputed universities of Austria, Germany and France having collaborative links with Higher Education Commission, Pakistan.

The scholarship scheme was launched in early 2005 and by Dec 2007 all the available slots were occupied. At the last moment, two scholars were not allowed to proceed abroad by their parent universities and thus the program was capped at 98. As being mentioned below, a total of 11 scholars left for Austria, 42 left for Germany while 45 had proceeded to France:

Name of University Austria France Germany Total

Hazara University Dhodial, Mansehra 01 07 08

Gomal University, D.I. Khan 02 04 06

Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat 01 01 02

Karakorum International University, Gilgit 01 02 03

University of Malakand, Chakdara, Dir, Malakand 02 01 03

University of AJK, Muzaffarabad 02 02 02 06

Quaid-e-Awam University of Eng. Sciences & Tech, Nawabshah 01 05 02 08

Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur 02 02 04

Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 02 04 07 13

Government College University, Faisalabad 03 04 07

Islamia University, Bahawalpur 03 03 03 09

University of Sargodha, Sargodha 03 08 11

University of Baluchistan, Quetta 05 05 10

Balochistan University of Eng. & Tech., Khuzdar 02 01 03

Balochistan University of IT & Management Sciences, Quetta 04 01 05

Total 11 45 42 98

Initially, this project was like any other project for me but the more I got involved in the dynamics of this program; the more enjoyment I got out of it. These 15 universities were tucked away in the length and breadth of the country, in far flung remote areas where people used to think that such scholarships could never be offered to them. With the previous experiences of the government and their track records, my scholars would never believe that they could just take a GRE type National Testing Service (NTS) aptitude test, appear for an interview with a panel of foreign professors, get selected and win a scholarship worth US $ 60,000 to go study in the heart of Europe.

To date, forty nine scholars have successfully completed their PhD, graduated, returned and have rejoined their parent universities as faculty members. Many of them have been offered luxurious jobs in Europe with a maximum worth of Euro 4,000 per month but none, I repeat none have accepted these offers and have voluntarily returned to serve the mother land. The achievements of some of the scholars who have graduated since January 2011 are highlighted below:

Success comes in Cans! Page 3

Dr. Hameed Ullah Wazir, a native of Bannu, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and a lecturer in Department of Chemistry, Hazara University Mansehra, has completed his PhD from Universitat des Saarlandes, Germany in Inorganic/Analytical Chemistry. His research thesis was on “Synthesis of Metal Oxides composites of the Type M/M2O3 by MOCVD process and Hydrogen Absorption / Adsorption over the Metal / Metal Oxides Composites”. He has 3 International Publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 01.01.2011 respectively.

Dr. Ameer Fawad Zahoor, a native of Jhang, Punjab and a Lecturer in department of Chemistry, Govt. College University (GCUF), Faisalabad, has completed his PhD from University of Saarland (saarbruecken/homburg), Germany in Chemistry. His research thesis was on “Development of New Chiral Ligands and their role in Asymmetric Catalysis”. He has 8 International Publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 31.01.2011 respectively.

Dr. Zaheer Ahmed Nizamani, a native of Hyderabad, Sindh and a lecturer in Department of Veterinary Pathology, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, has completed his PhD from Montpellier 2 University, France in Veterinary Pathology. His research thesis was on “In vivo delivery siRNAS and evaluation of their antiviral effects against virus of peste of small ruminants (PPRV)”. He has 3 International publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 08.02.2011 respectively.

Dr. Muhammad Mustahsan, a native of Talagang, Punjab and a lecturer in Department of Physics, Islamia University, Bahawalpur; he has completed his PhD from University of Stuttgart, Germany in Algebra. His research thesis was on “Approximation with hierarchical WEB-Splines”. He has 1 International publication to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 19.02.2011 respectively.

Success comes in Cans! Page 4

Dr. Mrs. Farhat Iqbal, a native of Sargodha and a lecturer at the Department of Electronics, University of Sargodha, Punjab completed her PhD from the Department of Broad band communication, Tecnische Universitat, Graz, Austria in Satellite Laser Ranging. Her thesis title was “Feasibility Study and Design of a Multi-Kilohertz Satellite Laser Ranging System”. She has 4 International publications and has graduated, returned and joined her parent university on 20.03.2011.

Dr. Akhtar Ali Jalbani, a native of Tandojam, Sindh and a Lecturer in Information Technology Centre, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, has completed his PhD from University of Gottingen, Germany in Software Engineering. His research thesis was on “Quality Assessment and Quality Improvement for UML Models”. He has 1 International Publication. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 23.03.2011 respectively.

Dr. Pershotam Khatri, born in Sanghar (Sindh) and a lecturer from the Department of Animal Re-production at the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, Sindh completed his PhD with a mention of ‘Cum Laude’ from the Department of Veterinary Medicine, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany in Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences. His thesis title was “Placental Sulfoconjugated Estrogens in Cattle: Byproducts of Trophoblast Giant cell differentiation or Substrates of Pregnancy -Specific Sulfatase”. He has 4 local and 3 overseas publications. He has graduated, returned and joined his parent university on 26.03.2011.

Dr. Mukhtiar Memon, a native of Tandojam, Sindh and a lecturer in Information Technology Center, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, has completed his PhD from Universitat Innsbruck, Austria in Software Engineering. His research thesis was on “Platform Independent Framework for Security Services”. He has 6 International publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 1.04.2011 respectively.

Success comes in Cans! Page 5

Dr. Basit Niaz, a native of Sadiqabad (Rahim Yar Khan) and a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Hazara University, Mansehra, KPK completed his PhD with a mention of ‘Magna Cum Laude’ from Universitat Greifswald, Germany in Physical Sciences. His thesis title was “Synthesis of Novel Biaryl Type Heterocyclic P, P- and P, N- Ligands”. He has 4 International publications to his credit and has graduated, returned and joined his parent university on 1.04.2011.

Dr. Noman Javed, a native of Bahawalpur and a lecturer from the Department of Computer Science at the Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Punjab has completed his PhD from University of Orléans, France in Computer Sciences. His thesis is on the topic of “Meta-Programmed algorithmic skeletons: Implantation, performances and applications”. He has published 5 International research papers and has graduated and rejoined his parent university on 24.06.2011.

Dr. Malik M. Saad Missen, born in Rahim Yar Khan (Punjab) and a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Punjab completed his PhD from University of Toulouse 3, France in Computer Science. His thesis was on the topic of “Multidimensional ranking model for Information retrieval opinion detection in BLOGS”. He has 12 International Publications in his research portfolio and has graduated, returned and joined his parent university on 4.07.2011.

Dr. Aziz Javed, a native of Wanda Mauzam (D. I. Khan) and a lecturer from the Department of Business Administration, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK has completed his PhD from IAE Aix-en-Provence, Paul Cezanne University, France in Management Sciences. His thesis title was “Effects of performance appraisal politics on job satisfaction organizational commitments turnover intention”. He has 2 International Publications and has graduated, returned and joined Gomal University on 19.07.2011.

Success comes in Cans! Page 6

Dr. Jahanvash Karim, a native of Quetta, Balochistan and a Lecturer in department of Business Administration, University of Balochistan, Quetta, has completed his PhD from IAE of Aix-en-Provence, France in Emotional Intelligence. His research thesis was on “Structural, Convergent, Discriminant, and predictive validity of various trait and ability measures of emotional intelligence”. He has 8 international Journal papers to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 20.07.2011 respectively.

Dr. Muhammad Zulqarnain, a native of Narowal and a lecturer in the Business Education Department, University of Sargodha, Punjab has completed his PhD from IAE of Aix-en-Provence, France in Management Sciences. His research thesis was on “The impacts of match or mismatch between employee’s career anchors and job setting on selected outcome variables”. He has 10 International publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 01.08.2011 respectively.

Dr. Naveed Ahmed Shaikh, born in Shikarpur (Sindh) and a lecturer in the Department of Economics, Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur, Sindh completed his PhD with a mention of ‘Cum Laude’ from the Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, RUHR-University of Bochum, Germany in Social Sciences. He completed his thesis on “Trade Liberalization and Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan (Case Study of Sindh Province)” and has 2 International publications. He graduated, returned and joined his parent university on 16.08.2011.

Dr. Faisal Maqbool Zahid, born in Faisalabad and a lecturer at the Department of Statistics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab has graduated with a PhD with the mention of ‘Magna cum Laude’ from Institute for Statistics Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munchen, Germany in Physical Sciences. He completed his thesis on the topic of “Sprinkage estimation for categorical regression models”. He has 8 International publications to his credit and has also authored a book titled ‘Regularization and Variable selection in categorical regression analysis’ in 2011. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 5.09.2011.

Success comes in Cans! Page 7

Dr. Nasir Mahmood, born in Quetta and a lecturer in the Department of Biotechnology and Informatics at the Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences, Quetta, graduated with a PhD from INPL Nancy University, France. He completed his thesis on “A case study of different hydrodynamic and nutritional constraints on Streptomyces used for the production of antibiotic” and has 1 local and 3 International publication to his credit. He has graduated and rejoined his university on 12.09.2011.

Dr. Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, a native of Mastung, Balochistan and a Lecturer in department of Engineering & Technology, Balochistan University of Engineering & Technology, Khuzdar, has completed his PhD from University of Insa Lyon, France. His research thesis was on “Numerical Modeling of residual stressing due to grinding”. He has 1 international Journal paper to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 28.09.2011 respectively.

Dr. Malik Sajjad Ahmed Nadeem, has completed his PhD from

Université Paris-13, France. On successful completion by

securing 4th position in his Masters degree, Sajjad was registered

as a PhD Scholar in the Université Paris-13, France under the

supervision of Prof. Dr. Jean-Daniel Zucker and Dr. Blaise

Hanczar. He completed his PhD entitled “Classification with a

reject-option to improve transcriptomic data based decision

support systems”. He has graduated, returned and joined his parent university, University of

Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, AJK on 25.10.2011.

Dr. Jabbar Khan, a native of Bannu (KPK) and a lecturer in the Gomal Center of Bio-Chemistry, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK completed his PhD from Institute of Genetics and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Rennes 1 University, France in Physical Sciences. His thesis was on the topic of “Relationship between Aurora Kinase C and Cancer”. He has 10 International Publications to his credit and has graduated and rejoined his parent university on 5.11.2011.

Success comes in Cans! Page 8

Dr. Nadeem Salamat, a native of Bahawalnagar and a lecturer in the Mathematics Department, Karakorum International University, Gilgit, Baltistan has completed his PhD with a mention of ‘Honorable’ from University de la Rochelle, France in Physical Sciences. He completed his thesis on “Dynamic space relations between objects for scene analysis”. He has 7 International publications to his credit and has graduated and rejoined his parent university on 14.11.2011.

Dr. Rehana Naz, a native of Tandojam and a lecture at the Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam has completed her PhD from, Georg August University of Göettingen, Germany. She completed her PhD in November 2011 entitled ‘Chemical and Genetic diversity in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)’ under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Petr Karlovsky. She has graduated, returned and joined SAU, Tandojam as Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Crop Protection on 24.11.2011.

Dr. Munawar Hussain, a native of Bahawalpur, Punjab and a Lecturer in the department of Chemistry, Islamia University Bahawalpur, has completed his PhD from Universitat Wien, Austria in Chemistry. His research thesis was on “Probing complexity with artificial biomimetic sensor materials”. He has 7 international Journal papers and 4 International conference papers to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 30.11.2011 respectively.

Dr. Zafar Yaqub, a native of Multan and a lecturer in the Department of Management Sciences, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Punjab has completed his PhD with a mention of ‘Distinction’ from Universitat Wien, Austria in Management Sciences. His research thesis was on “The Efficacy of Relational Governance and the Value-creating Relational Investments in Revenue-enhancement in Supplier-intermediate Buyer Relationships”. He has 6 local publications and 19 International publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 15.12.2011 respectively.

Success comes in Cans! Page 9

Dr. Mansoor Hyder, a native of Naushero Feroze, Sindh and a Lecturer in Information Technology Centre, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, has completed his PhD from University of Tubingen, Germany in Telecommunication. His research thesis was on “3D Telephony”. He has 8 International publications to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 17.12.2011 respectively.

Dr. Nargis Abbas, a native of Lahore, Punjab and a Lecturer in department of Education, University of Sargodha, has completed her PhD from University of Strasbourg, France in Education Management. Her research thesis was on “A study of attitude measurement of girls towards mathematics and its effects on their performance in mathematics”. She has 3 international Journal papers to her credit. She has graduated, returned and rejoined her parent university on 27.12.2011 respectively.

Dr. Tahir Mahmood, a native of Chakwal, Punjab and a Lecturer in department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, has completed his PhD from Louis Pasteur University Strasbourg, France in Biochemistry. His research thesis was on “Unraveling Molecular, Cellular and Cognitive Defects in the mouse model for mental retardation caused by RSK2 Gene mutation”. He has 4 International Journal papers to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 02.04.2012 respectively.

Dr. Asif Ali Memon, a native of Nawabshah, Sindh and a lecturer in Department of Mechanical Engineering, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering & Technology (QUEST), Nawabshah, has completed his PhD from ENSAM Paristech, France in Energy & Environment. His research thesis was on “Wind turbine wake analysis using hybrid models”. He has 2 international Journal papers and 5 International conference papers to his credit. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 12.04.2012 respectively.

Success comes in Cans! Page 10

Dr. Pardeep Kumar Harani, a native of Mithi Tharparkar, Sindh and a Lecturer in department of Computer Systems Engineering QUEST, Nawabshah; has completed his PhD from FREIE University of Berlin, Germany in Communication System and Networks. His research thesis was on “MAC protocols for low-latency and energy critical WSN applications”. He has 1 international Journal paper and 6 International conference papers in his research portfolio. He has graduated, returned and rejoined his parent university on 30.05.2012 respectively.

Dr. Mrs. Sarwat Afridi, a native of Quetta Balochistan and a lecturer at BUITEMS, Quetta; has completed her PhD from Université Aix-Marseille II, France. In September 2008, Sarwat was registered in PhD at Université Aix-Marseille II, France under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Pascal Rihet.

She completed her PhD in July 2012 entitled “Influence of candidate gene variants on Plasmodium falciparum malaria related phenotypes and functional effects of NCR3-412 polymorphism associated to malaria”. She has graduated, returned and joined her parent

university on 21.07.2012.

Post Script:

I happen to be the first Project Director in HEC and that too on contract who was able to send PhD scholars to China starting from 2003 and to date myself and my 10 other compatriots are sending scholars with fully funded PhD scholarships to 38 countries across the globe. This is no mean feat; I tell you. To date we have sent 4,000+ Master leading to PhD scholars abroad while 7,000+ are studying for a PhD program in some 120+ universities within the land of the pure aka Pakistan. Till 8th October 2012, a total of 1,240 Overseas PhD scholars have graduated and returned while a total of 1,124 Indigenous scholars have graduated with a PhD within Pakistan and are serving the nation.

These PhD graduates have been returning to their universities, their R&D organizations since 2007 and are slowly and gradually making a dent in the economy, the educational and the social fabric of the society. I have faith in them and they will ultimately rise to higher echelons in their cadres, positions in their universities and will rule the world. A few who have completed the 5 year HEC bond to serve the country have recently been granted fully funded Post-Doctoral scholarships to study in the West again while one of my scholars of the China scholarship program has already been celebrated with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz; the highest civilian award of the country.

Success comes in Cans! Page 11

I thus say “Success comes in Cans and not Cannots”. We, Pakistanis are a resilient bunch. When our forces are provoked to fight and it becomes a matter of life or death; fight they do till the last drop of their blood. When our engineers, doctors, scientists, sportsmen, teachers, PhD scholars are called for service; they come to the beck and call of the nation. It is a misnomer that we are a failed nation. We are NOT a failed nation. We are at par with any other developing nation in the comity of nations and we are indeed a successful lot!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pakistani_people.jpg

A day will come when we will rise (Insha’Allah) like before and I have faith in God Almighty, myself and my PhD scholars that the PhD graduates of HEC will become the ‘Alam Bardars’ (the flag bearers); the saviors of this nation in the days to come.

HEC is I and I am HEC. Long live HEC, long live Pakistan. Pakistan Zindabad!

Shaikh Muhammed Ali ‘The Wandering Dervish’

E-mail: mashaikh@hec.gov.pk

Tel (Off): 00-92-51-90408030

28th October, 2012, 10:00 (PST)