FRANK ISLAM, originally from Azamgarh, left India when he was only 15 years old to pursue his dream and now is a successful entrepreneur in America. Islam is a noted philanthropist, an entrepreneur, investor who heads the FI Investment Group in the USA. He was the founder and CEO of the QSS Group. An alumnus of AMU, Frank received his Bachelor and Master Degrees in Computer Science from the University of Colorado. Frank Islam donated $2-million for the Frank and Debbie Islam Management Complex at the AMU and also donated Rs one crore for a state-of-the art auditorium at AMU’s Mass Communications department. In an interview with MOHD NAUSHAD KHAN to mark the completion of 100 glorious years of AMU, he said AMU can play a pivotal role in the country’s development through innovative scientific discoveries and technological and economic entrepreneurship.
AMU has completed 100 years. What is your analysis of its journey so far?
Aligarh Muslim University’s chequered history spanning more than a hundred years manifests the collective aspirations of the Muslims who were brought to ruin by the debacle of 1857. It began as a small madrasa in 1877, and later it transformed into MAO College (1877) and finally into a university in 1920. It was premised on a well-defined objective to emancipate and empower Indians in general and Muslim community in particular with modern and scientific education. Its eventful and awe-inspiring journey prompts us to say that it had succeeded considerably in educating the generations of a cross-section of society with an elite bias. Sir Syed’s ameliorative initiative went a long way in mitigating the sufferings of the Muslims and the launch of the Aligarh Movement empowered them socially, culturally and economically.
Sir Syed did not want to restrict himself to work for an educational institute only; he wanted MAO College to be the epicentre of Muslim Renaissance. He emphasised the holistic approach of education comprising grooming, cultivation of good manners and scientific temper. The college strove for producing those who could leave an indelible mark in different fields. Its alumni even rose to become the President, Vice President, Governors, ministers, jurists, educationists, scientists, vice-chancellors, civil servants, businessmen, entrepreneurs and sportsmen and some of them did exceptionally well abroad. Needless to say, many of them contributed immensely to the overall development of the country where they settled.
Over the last several years, AMU has featured prominently in the ranking of Indian higher educational institutions which is done by Indian and foreign ranking agencies. Several of its faculties and departments including Mass communication, Social Work, Law, Life Sciences, Medicine and Unani Medicine are considered the best in terms of excellent academic pursuit, placement of the students, infrastructure and technical know-how. The notable success of AMU is also dotted with some shortcomings as, it failed to motivate students to write tests for coveted civil services, and the students hardly get hands-on training that may boost their job prospects. Sir Syed’s dream of the intellectual and educational resurgence of Muslims remains partially realised.
Completing 100 years is no doubt a milestone. Should we celebrate or make an honest introspection on what AMU has achieved and what remains to be done?
As I said, AMU has, by and large, done well in regards to its objectives for what it was established. However, one must not feel contented with the bout of successes, and AMU also has a long way to go. Its role as a frontline propagator of modern and liberal education needs to be strengthened. It must not be allowed to be used as a breeding ground spreading regionalism and sectarianism. A community cannot be dormant as it has to keep itself abreast of knowledge produced by the finest minds across the globe. The university must welcome the new-fangled ideas by discarding old courses and syllabuses not sync with the demands of the industry. An ever-evolving worldview is the need of the hour as it ensures the speedy progress of the institution.
AMU has to do a lot in education and social engineering. I was at AMU to inaugurate state of the art Frank and Debbie Islam auditorium. I was delighted to learn that the university has been reaching out to the marginalised section of society, providing them with the opportunities of best of modern, scientific and technological education. Soon, it intends to start a Nursing College, an Institute of Paramedical Courses and a Pharmacy College to widen its professional orientation base. However, many sought- after courses like aeronautical engineering, pilot training programmes are yet to be started.
To what extent do you think AMU has lived up to the expectations of its founding father?
I think AMU has done reasonably well to live up to the expectations of its founder, Sir Syed; what is still left is the replacement of emotionalism with rational thinking. Muslims should resolve all issues related to their life with the judicious application of the law of reason around which our world revolves. The best part of this story is that all Aligarians, whether teachers, students or alumni, look committed to the ideals of Sir Syed and they are striving for fulfilling his dreams of educationally empowered egalitarian Indian society.
The Aligarh movement envisaged by Sir Syed succeeded in encouraging AMU alumni to create a large number of educational institutions throughout the length and breadth of the country and outside and several NGOs established on this pattern, alumni are working in various parts of the world to put the backward and marginalised sections of society on the road of progress and prosperity. In South India, several societies and organisations have created a series of educational institutions. This pattern needs to be adopted in northern India for the maximum benefit of people.
Pubic-funded education in the coming days will become extinct, and people will have to manage it by the people or through their partnership. In this scenario, a people’s movement has to be created to establish higher educational institutions with an inclusive motto so that the marginalised sections of society do not suffer. Remaining dependent on government initiatives and measures for educational needs is not an advisable idea, and people need to look for other options, especially for establishing specialised educational institutions.
Moving on from here onwards, what do you think are the challenges before AMU and what is the way forward?
Although AMU is making constant progress in its academic journey, it faces several problems and issues that hinder its development.
AMU is a prominent residential university with more than twenty thousand students living on the campus. With an increase in the number of courses offered by it, the number of students has also grown, and this has caused a shortage of accommodation in hostels. Special financial arrangements have to be made to create new residential facilities for students.
Similarly, the residential quarters for faculty members and non-teaching staff are needed on the campus to facilitate them with easy and safe living so that they can give their best to the university in a tension-free environment.
Another problematic issue is the limited, rather shrinking financial support that it gains from the government. Although the Government of India funds different projects, several other departments/ institutes managed by AMU, including its off-campus centres in Kishanganj (Bihar), Murshidabad (West Bengal) and Malappuram (Kerala) desperately need funds for developing infrastructure and procuring equipment.
AMU needs special funds for the renovation of its laboratories, transformation of its classrooms into smart classrooms, equipping departments of studies with modern ICT gadgets, new cubicles for faculty members and revolving funds for starting new courses and upgrading departments of studies/ starting new centres.
The financial needs also demand support from private means, even on a PPP basis, and I appeal to our alumni spread all over the globe to come forward and sharing the responsibilities for the development of their alma mater.
What do you think AMU should give to India in the next 100 years?
The Constitution of India in its VII Schedule pronounces AMU as an institution of national importance, and this brings on it a responsibility to come true to its status in broader terms. Besides excellently performing its primary duty, AMU must launch outreach activities and conduct programmes that help India achieve higher literacy rate, broader social and technological awareness, maximum sensitisation towards national responsibilities and higher economic self-reliance.
AMU can play a pivotal role in the country’s development through innovative scientific discoveries and technological and economic entrepreneurship.