WE for a change

#5
Shams Tania Afroza Islam- Senior Scientist at Pfizer

" I'm Shams Tania Afroza Islam. My primary education was abroad-in Japan, to be precise. I went to an international school there and learnt English and Japanese. While I promptly forgot Japanese, knowing English and not the mother tongue, set me up for attending English Medium schools when we returned to Bangladesh. With no clues or knowledge of ‘the syllabus’ and ‘prepping with past papers’ and only focusing on what the schools covered, I had a dismal performance at O’levels. This was a huge set-back, emotionally. But because of this, I knew better how to prepare for A’levels. This set me on a course for life-I am very aware of course objectives and acutely aware that most students get let down by the education in classes. I took up tutoring as a result. Not only was this profitable financially at a very young age because I proved to be popular, but I had found my passion-I love teaching. Very fortunately, I realized my dream of being a teacher in the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka, after passing both B.Sc and MS with first class first distinctions.

Mathematics have always appealed to me and the electrochemistry course in my Bachelors affirmed what I wanted to research in when it came to do my PhD. I wanted to combine it with another subject that amazed me during my A’levels and which continue to amaze me even today. Biology!!! The life-turning moment came when I was accepted into the group of Prof. Fraser Armstrong at University of Oxford. I found myself growing bacteria and isolating engineered enzymes to study them with protein film electrochemistry, the field pioneered by my supervisor. I studied three other enzymes supplied to our labs by collaborators. I garnered the value of teamwork, cooperation and collaboration from these projects. The University tag alone saw me being taken seriously!
Another life-turning moment came as I finished up my PhD. I was faced with the decision on whether to return to the country or not. I had three children by then and when I returned to Bangladesh, I found that I couldn’t even get through the doors of the reputed English Medium schools to talk to the Principal or Administrator about my sons’ education. Remembering my own childhood experience, the non-cooperation from the schools about my sons and the fact that I had a postdoctoral job offer at University of Oxford waiting for me, I made the heart-wrenching decision to let go of my dream job at University of Dhaka.

During the postdoctoral job, I won the prestigious LEaDing Fellowship (a Marie-Curie cofund programme) at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. The project was to develop a new high throughput system based on infrared technology and in the meantime, hone my skills further in molecular biology and protein isolation and purification. I learnt new techniques in the form of calorimetry and HPLC. I already had some knowledge of GC-MS, crystallography and differential scanning calorimetry from my PhD. Having a varied skill set was very fortunate for me- I aced a job interview (my one and only from a hundred applications) with Pfizer Ltd. I was offered a job as Senior Scientist in Project Analysts. I am looking forward to serving my role there and growing further as a researcher and as a team leader in the upcoming years.

I think what got me the job with Pfizer Ltd was being absolutely myself during the interview and having experience with a multitude of techniques. My advice for others will be to tell them to accept new experiences when they come. You never know when you might need them and never to shy away from the learning curves that come with these new challenges. Also, you never know the path that you will follow. I was chosen as a candidate for Commonwealth-when papers came to update some information, I was on maternity leave and missed the posts. I was not chosen. My GRE result after graduation was: Verbal Reasoning (162: 91st percentile ) and Quantitative Reasoning (164: 90th percentile ), IELTS: 8.5 and TOEFL: 113 and I applied to top schools in the US. I was in communication with several interested supervisors. What happened? My graduate applications to all the schools were automatically rejected the second the deadline passed. Why? Because my TOEFL scores never reached them-I had not ticked the box properly during my TOEFL exam to take advantage of the results being sent! I thought I had!
On the other hand, I got into University of Oxford with only a paragraph in my research proposal. Why? Because I didn’t know what I would be doing there with the funding I got from IDB merit scholarship. My supervisor sent me one paragraph to describe what he envisioned me doing-just a list of projects that I might potentially be involved in. I had copy-pasted that paragraph into my research proposal and I got in! Life!!! "

#4
Mahfuzur Rahman

"I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, UK and an Academic Adviser to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK. I am also an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Public Sociology and Sociotherapy (IJPSS). My current academic and research interests are in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation with a focus on Bangladesh and sustainability. Investigating the potential environment friendly manufacturing, such as, adoption of textile enzymes, for a sustainable future motivates my most recent research works. I have given guest lectures at the University of Dhaka, Jahangirnagar University, BRAC University and Khulna University in Bangladesh.

As an adviser to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, I am representing UK Higher Education to Commonwealth countries and advising on the selection of Commonwealth Scholars and fellows. My research projects (as an Investigator) and Scholarships (as Supervisor) are funded by the Commonwealth Commission, Government of Bangladesh, British Council, Government of Ghana and UNIDO. I am also an active team member of the University of Lincoln UNESCO Chair and the Lincoln Centre for Ecological Justice, UK.

I have published in many prestigious journals including Annals of Operation Research, International Marketing Review and Technological Forecasting & Social Change. I have also edited a book on migration practices. I have also presented my research at a range of international conferences. I have received a number of awards including University of Lincoln Merit Award 2018, Individual Merit Award 2019, and two best paper awards. I have supervised 3 doctoral candidates and 1 postdoctoral fellow towards successful completion at the University of Lincoln. Currently I am supervising four PhD students.

After completing my BBA in Finance from University of Dhaka, I came to the UK for higher education. I continued my doctoral study following my Masters in International Business. My doctoral study and research career was heavily influenced by my inspiring doctoral supervisor Dr. Moshfique Uddin Sir who is now an Associate Professor at the University of Leeds. While I was planning to leave the UK after successful completion of my MS, I was stopped, taught and trained by him. Moshfique Sir is seen as an "inspiration guru" by a large number of his students. He had been a life changer for many students. My research development was also inspired by my childhood friend Dr Shahriar Akter, Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong, Australia. We went to same school, college and university. In fact, we used study together from our very early age. There are two important point that you can note from these two pieces of evidence- if you get an opportunity or cooperation from an inspirational teacher or a friend, try your best to capitalise before it is too late. Secondly, you should believe in your capacity. If you do not believe yourself, nobody will believe you. I strongly believe that hard work comes first and success is a logical sequence. In future, I am keen to develop a total sustainability framework for the developing countries with particular attention to Bangladesh. "

#3

"I'm Md. Rahmat Ali, a career diplomat of Bangladesh Foreign Service. I obtained my Honors and Masters degree in Microbiology from University of Dhaka with highest grade points in both and published 09 (nine) research articles on virology in renowned international journals including 'Transboundary and Emerging Diseases' (Wiley), 'Vaccine' (Elsevier), 'Archives of Virology' (Springer), 'Microbial Resource Announcements' (ASM) etc. I secured the 1st position in 37th BCS (Foreign Affairs).

In recognition of academic excellence, I received the prestigious 'Prime Minister Gold Medal- 2015' for securing highest CGPA in the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Dhaka. I also received Dean's Award and Outstanding Academic Performance Awards from the University of Dhaka. Moreover, I got National Science and Technology Fellowship during Masters thesis and government scholarships in different stages of education.

Before joining the Foreign Office, I worked in Microbial Genetics and Bioinformatics Laboratory of University of Dhaka for more than two years. During the period, I along with my co-workers successfully developed an effective trivalent Foot-and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine and reported the emergence of novel lineage and sub-lineages of FMD viruses in Bangladesh along with representative complete genomes of the viruses.

No one can predict where fate will take them. The person whose only ambition was to become a teacher of Dhaka University, who had such a good track record in research, had to change his track. But hard work always pays off. That's why, without any coaching, I secured the first position in 37th BCS (Foreign Affairs) which was my very first BCS exam.

I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2019 as an Assistant Secretary. As a career diplomat, I'm passionate about representing Bangladesh and protecting national interests in global arena. In this regard, I'm determined to rebuild myself as worthy of this honor through continuous development and grooming with the brightest minds who also chose diplomacy as their job.

My advice to students is to believe in yourself and build yourself up to the best of your ability. Give the highest priority to academic studies, as well as develop some soft skills. Remember, the more you invest in yourself during this time, the more you succeed in the future. You must improve your skills to sort the proper strategy. "

I am Dr. Md. Imtiaz Mostafiz, Senior Lecturer of International Business and Strategy at Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom. I am a Fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK. Before coming to the UK, I served at Taylor's University as a Lecturer. I earned my PhD in International Business from Taylor's Business School, Taylor's University, with the "Best Student Paper Award" from the Academy of International Business Western USA Annual Conference 2018. I completed my MSc in International Business from Monash University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University. My scholarly works have been published in the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, Multinational Business Review, European Journal of International Management, Strategic Change, International Review of Entrepreneurship, Knowledge Management Research and Practice, etc. I am currently serving in the Editorial Board of Entrepreneurship Research Journal, Business Strategy and Development, and Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economy.

After completing my MSc, I had a massive car accident. My left hand was temporarily paralyzed for around six months. During that time, I spent time on the internet (e.g. Netflix) along with working on my PhD research proposal. I would like to highlight that we don't need to compromise everything in life to become successful. We must maintain an adequate balance. We must have to be kind to ourselves. Because, through this practice, we will not get bored with the task we are doing. During that crucial time, I have applied to several universities for PhD funding, went for a couple of interviews and got rejected. Rejection is painful, but one must trust the process. As a candidate, my job was to apply for funding and face the interview. On the other hand, the panel's position is to evaluate the candidates and select the best. Finally, Taylor's University offered me a position with a generous funding, and I accepted that. I was so fortunate as I had the opportunity to work with two remarkable supervisors in my field. Universities indeed play roles in shaping our life and future endeavors; however, during the PhD journey, the supervisors play the most critical part to complete the maneuver. Finally, at the end of 2018, I earned my PhD.
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As a researcher and academic, I always seek new knowledge. Carrying out scholarly work is my only passion. Besides, I have hobbies such as cooking, watching documentaries, and having dialogues with businessman and politicians. I don't dream unrealistically. Everyone is distinct, and we must discover our strength and competitive advantage. Therefore, for the new generation, I would like to emphasize that please locate your inherited traits. It is not rocket science. Focus on your passion and transform that into value-creating activities. As an academic, I love doing my job. Spending time with young eager mind gives me joy. Meanwhile, self-enrichment is so essential; invest in yourself and in others, be kind and spread positivity. As the old folks said, "together we stand, and alone we fall".

#1
Khandker Shahidur Rab

"I was fortunate to have wonderful parents who had a passion to educate their children. My mother Hazera Begum and my father Khandker Abdur Rob were my inspiration in finding a wealth of Bangla and world literature in the library where I developed a growing realization how rich Bangla is. My wife Wajeda Jafar Rab is a highly recognized Landscape Architect and extremely supportive of my endeavors. Our daughter Eila earned her MBA from Vanderbilt, is married and has one son.

I was a child during the 1952 Language Movement. By 1962 I was an architecture student at BUET. Hamidur Rahman, our Fine Arts teacher, recruited me as his associate to design the Shahid Minar. Principal Zainul Abedin assigned us a studio at Arts College where we developed the concept for the Shahid Minar.
My story as the first student of architecture is published in Rafique Islam’s book “The First Faculty of Architecture in Dhaka’” After two years I transferred to Texas A&M University in USA. The Language Movement psyche stayed with me and propelled me to join the Berkeley (University of California) Free Speech Movement in 1964.

After earning a B. Arch. with honors, I returned to BUET to teach. Wajeda was in the second batch of architecture at BUET, one of the first three women students at that university. We got married in 1967 and went to Texas A&M in 1969 to earn Masters, she in Landscape Architecture and I in Health Facilities Planning. After completing coursework, we traveled to Sri Lanka as Project Hope Fellows to design the University Hospital in Peradeniya, published in World Hospitals.

We returned to BUET to teach, but alas, the genocide by Pakistani military made us decide to migrate to US. Our hearts remained with those we left behind and the brave Freedom Fighters. We participated in organizations supporting Bangladesh Liberation War to help turn US public opinion towards Bangladesh.

I began my career in hospital planning with an international firm in Washington, DC. Intellectual challenge of the complex nature of this building type became my passion. I earned a PhD in hospital planning and lectured at MIT. My projects include, University Hospitals in Cologne, Singapore, Taipei and Minneapolis. Other projects include hospitals in Bonn and Berlin, Princess Grace Hospital London, American Hospital Paris and projects at National Institutes of Health in USA and China. Earlier lessons at the Goethe Institute Dhaka came useful on German projects and during mountain hiking near Stuttgart with German colleagues.

After retiring in 2020 I mentored several new architects. I encourage the next generations, family as well as others. I would love to visit family, friends, and projects in Bangladesh and other countries once the pandemic is over. It would be nice to pursue continuing education in Europe during summers.

Believe in the power of imagination. Dream freely during the precious college years. Work life will start soon enough with all its realities. Re-imagine a better surrounding for you, your loved ones, your neighborhood, and your country.