The seven-star professor

By Asadullah
Karachi
He simply wanted to get a BSc degree for the sake of a suitable job and his subsequent marriage to his cousin-fiancée. The latter, instead of blushing with the prospects, put forth the condition that he get an MSc degree before their marriage. Hence he did his post-graduation in Botany to match hers which was in Psychology.
Ultimately, this ignited a yearning in Professor Shakil Ahmed Qureshi to indulge in more such academic pursuits. Since his maiden MSc in 1978, Prof. Qureshi, head of the Botany department at the Government Degree Science College in Malir, now has seven post-graduate degrees to his credit.

And this is not the end. Currently, he is striving to get his eighth post-graduate degree. This year, he is appearing for his M.A. Final in Urdu Literature. “I was not a book worm but wanted to complete my graduation,” he recalls. “But going for post-graduate studies was not an informed choice. I had to go for it as a matter of compulsion.”

Seeking admission in Karachi University (KU) was not a tough call for him. What was more worrisome was choosing an easy subject. Since somebody suggested to him that Botany would be easier than chemistry, Prof. Qureshi opted for it. “When I got myself enrolled for the MSc programme, I was concerned about my job prospects but seeing other students alleviated that feeling which never reared its head again,” he says.

“We knew that we would have to brace ourselves for a brief period of struggle to secure a suitable job soon after getting our MSc,” Prof. Qureshi says. “A senior friend of mine offered me a teaching job at his coaching centre at Karimabad for Rs300 a month, which I accepted whole-heartedly. It was the same fellow who advised me to do another post-graduation in law instead of wasting the time that I had after devoting myself to tuition.”

According to Prof. Qureshi, he agreed to the idea of graduating from S.M. Law College with an LLB degree in his hand. He says that for the first time he started enjoying the learning process in the presence of 800 students under the guidance of able teachers who were eminent jurists as well.

“My court visit during Ziaul Haq’s regime disheartened me as I saw persecution of commoners alone whereas the likes of Seth Abid were deemed personal friends of General Zia,” a very humble Prof. Qureshi maintains. “The poor man was in for a lashing whereas the offenders from the affluent class were getting away with impunity. I realised then that it was not my cup of tea to practice law.”

Soon after securing an LLB, Prof. Qureshi applied for the Sindh Public Service Commission and was unexpectedly given a nod to proceed and lay the foundation of his teaching career from his first teaching assignment at an intermediate science college in Sujawal. “Then in 1981, I got married to Sabiha who had already done her BEd after getting an MSc in psychology from Punjab University.”

Since his wife was not working and would stay at home, Sabiha had plenty of time for indulgence. “I proposed to her the idea of studying further instead. Reluctantly, she agreed but only on one condition – she asked me to study with her. We both got our M.A. degrees as private candidates in political science,” he explains.

Since Sabiha was already the Vice-Principal at a school in Thatta, she found herself more inclined towards college lectureship, once again quite like her better half. Later, she also did her MEd from Sindh University. Sabiha was eventually appointed a lecturer at the PAF College in Malir Cantonment. “We are happy with the results,” explains Prof. Qureshi. After getting three post-graduate degrees, Prof. Qureshi started teaching at the college but remained a student at home. By that time, he had come up with his formula of ‘3+3+4 in 3 years’ to bag four more post-graduate degrees in International Relations, Islamic history, General History and Islamic History respectively. What does that mean? “Three years of enrolment means dividing this time period with the total number of papers I had to appear in. Instead of finishing it in a set of two years I further split it into three for the sake of my convenience,” Prof. Qureshi explains. “But now I am following a two-year regime for my M.A. in Urdu. I have already cleared all papers in my first year of enrolment.”

When asked if such an accumulation of academic qualifications mean an accelerated promotion in service, he answered sharply saying that this is not at all the case. “Our basic qualification is what counts in our service which in my case is an MSc in Botany. Since I spent my initial years of teaching — almost a decade — in Sujawal I could not find the time to think about doing a PhD.”

Prof. Qureshi’s decision to pursue post-graduate degrees has inspired at least one of his students who is now a colleague as well. Mohammad Naeem, a 29-year-old qualified college librarian, got his Masters’ degrees in Library and Information Sciences, Islamic Studies and Economics. “Instead of wasting time, I emulated Shakil sahib’s idea of acquiring knowledge in a disciplined manner for your own self and no monetary gain,” elaborates Naeem. He says that Botany is his first love and it will stay that way forever. In fact, he takes pictures of plants and trees wherever he goes. Prof. Qureshi believes two challenging subjects, Economics and English Literature are worthy of his academic pursuits after completing his M.A. in Urdu Literature.

“I am satisfied with my 28-year teaching stint as I have earned a great deal of respect besides being closely associated with knowledge and a literate environment for most of my life,” maintains Prof. Qureshi. “I consider teaching to be a prophetic profession, therefore I continue performing my duties just the way I would say a prayer,” he concludes.

Courtesy: The News, 5/4/2008