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From Bellevue to Bangalore
By Nigar Ataulla
Bangalore
Sharp, at the stroke of 12 noon, on the eve of Independence Day, the Al-Hakeem Foundation awarded scholarships to young Muslim and non-Muslim students giving them the freedom to pursue higher education.
The Al-Hakeem Foundation for Science and Humanities, a non-profit and private Trust was set up to foster education and scientific research among minorities on a worldwide basis using the model of meritorious Grants and Scholarships.
Dr Arif Khan set up this foundation in Bangalore this year with his wife, Christine. Educated in Bangalore and graduating as a doctor from the Bangalore Medical College in 1975, Dr Khan found that most of the Muslims were either unemployed or working in small-time jobs that left them impoverished. He dreamt of Muslim children to look ahead and take up education seriously. “ I felt that people struggle all through their lives to achieve success and professional recognition, but not all of them obtain proper education to support their endeavours,” says Dr Khan. Settled in Bellevue, United States as a citizen, Dr Khan is currently the Medical Director of Northwest Clinical Research Centre and Adjunct Associate Professor, Psychiatry, at Duke University Medical Centre.
Explaining his mission, while in Bangalore for a short visit, Dr Khan stressed that the aim and objective of Al-Hakeem Foundation is to establish funds for the purpose of endowing scholarship to deserving students of Indian nationality for graduation, post-graduation, research, whether in the field of industrial, management, technical, scientific and medical education in any State of India or abroad and who cannot afford to pursue higher studies due to poverty and economic backwardness.
At a quiet private gathering of intellectuals in Bangalore, Dr Khan handed over US$ 20,000 to the Jumma Masjid School for upgrading their computer centre at Jame-Ul-Uloom, Jamia Masjid Complex. This was followed later with the Scholarships for 40 deserving students for the academic year-2005-2006 at a special function. Out of this, four non-Muslim students were also awarded the scholarship. Handing over the aid of US$ 500 each to the students, Dr Khan said : “ I am an Indian and also proud to be one. After completing my graduation, I moved out for greener pastures and dreamt of contributing to the needy children and I couldn’t have got a better opportunity than this one, as my dream is now fulfilled. The Education Foundation is functional and on the eve of India’s Independence day, I am enthralled to honour these futuristic children.”
Dr Khan gives $500 to the deserving students every year to take their studies further to achieve their goal. The execution of the grants and scholarships will be done at the Al-Hakeem Foundation office based in Bangalore and monitored by appropriate attorneys and accountants.
For further insight into the Al-Hakeem Foundation contact: No 35/17, 101, First Floor, ‘Premier Presidency’ Langford Road, Langford Town, Bangalore-560025. Ph: 51531558, Email:contact@al-hakeem.org. www.al-hakeem.org . Dr Arif Khan can be reached at akhan@nwcrc.com
Northwest Clinical Research Center 1900 - 116th Ave Ne, Bellevue, WA 9800.4
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