By Muhammad Mujahid Syed

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — “It was a sultry evening in Jeddah’s midsummer. The year was 1992 when I landed at King Abdul Aziz International Airport. Few months that followed I was expanding my search, when the management of International Indian School was looking for someone to manage its economics department. My excitement was not of getting a job rather it was more about performing the job,” said Dr. Israrul Haq in an interview to Saudi Gazette.

“Having done things right in India I was of the view of doing things right in Saudi Arabia. I began charting a global future not only for myself but also for my student community. I was convinced that an information age had truly arrived but was also convinced that I (as a teacher) had an important role to play in providing not only information but also a true worldview of education and sharing my knowledge based on moral foundation and making them not only career conscious but also character conscious,” he added.

“I worked at IISJ for nearly 17 years and interacted with various principals of high academic interest but I have never met anyone like Principal Masood Saheb. He is a deeply cultured, well-read person of tremendous integrity. His personal relationships are based on emotions such as love, loyalty and faith. I am proud of the fact that I have not only known him but worked with him and he has always considered me to be his elder brother,” Dr. Israr said about the relationship he developed with IISJ Principal Syed Masood Ahmad.

On his teaching experience with Saudi students he explained: “In 2009, I took a decision to quit IISJ to join Batterjee Medical College; the first and only Indian to join as a faculty in Healthcare Administration program. Though I was teaching at bachelor’s level, Saudi students in contrast to Indians were not proficient in English, though the language is certainly an important tool to stand up to the challenges in any career. Later, however, the Saudi youth showed remarkable improvement with their determination to master it, and their language gradually became correct, precise and effective. Now they have become one of the hard working youth in the world.”

“I see a great correlation between Vision 2030 and expat-free Kingdom and both depends on the power of communication and technology. The idea to shift the economy from oil dependency to non-oil sector is great. The transition is a necessary step towards a new diversified work culture. While the oil represents our past, the non-oil sector shows the way to the future with innumerable similarities. In a changing economic scenario of the country it is quite unmistakable that businesses would be making the most of the opportunity. In this regard, technology to me is anything that solves human problems without destroying the human spirit,” he said.

In an answer to a question, he explained that at the time of relinquishing his job in the last week of June, he was satisfied that he did succeed in bringing about the kind of changes in his department’s educational scene that he had planned for.

“I believe that talent has to be verbalized. I saw a glimpse of it while teaching students for CFA at Morgan Institute of Technical Accountancy. On close scrutiny it became quite apparent that the focus of the youth was very strategic. I have been so convinced about the power of the Saudi youth irrespective of their genders, that they are bound to make an ideal combination,” he said.

“To most bright young financial engineers there is an opportunity to grow as much, and perhaps even more as they would in the United States. The advantage for youth in the Kingdom is freedom with justice and now the time is ripe for them to capitalize on both,” Dr. Israr added.

“Having lived outside India for nearly 25 years I have no expertise left in dealing with established interests at various levels in any field, somewhere along the line there is an apprehension in my mind about being accepted in India due to growing challenges,” he seemed realistic while talking about the modern changes in India.

“For my early education, I was sent to Cathedral School and St. Francis High School. I did graduation from Lucknow Christian College and completed my post-graduation and Ph.D. (research in foreign trade) from Lucknow University. All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my parents. I pray for their exalted place in Heaven,” he said.

“I have always strongly endorsed the necessity for Muslims to possess a reasonable degree of social responsibility. A Muslim who loves his Creator owes something to the society for the sake of Allah who has given us an elevated and highly respected position,” he said.