Syed Ahsan Raza Shah, Pakistan’s ambassador to Qatar, congratulated Yousaf Ashfaq and Adnan Khan for being awarded gold medals for academic excellence by Qatar University.
Yousaf has been awarded the gold medal on successful completion of his Ph.D in Biological & Environmental Sciences, while Adnan was conferred the gold medal for his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The ambassador lauded their achievement terming it not only a matter of pride for themselves, their families and their supervising faculty, but also for all Pakistanis in Qatar.
Congratulatory shields were presented to both the high achievers by the ambassador.
Professor Abdul Shakoor of Qatar University was also present on the occasion.
Yousaf was born and brought up in Qatar. After obtaining a BSc from Pakistan, he returned to Qatar and started working at the Hamad Medical Corporation to become financially independent.
“I was always enthusiastic about going for graduate studies. Therefore, I enrolled for MSc in Environmental Engineering from Qatar University, followed by a PhD in Biological and Environmental Sciences from the same university. During my PhD, I obtained exceptional grades (4.0/4.0 CGPA) and published a total of 14 research articles, presented eight research posters, and gave one conference presentation.”
Using his interdisciplinary background, Yousaf aims at playing his role in resolving complex problems such as environmental contamination and remediation, water shortages, global warming, and climate change. “I would also like to play my role in the development of the younger generation of Qatar, so that they can also participate in the sustainable development of the country and in achieving Qatar National Vision, 2030.”
Regarding the recognition he received at the Pakistan embassy, Yousaf said: “I am very thankful for the acknowledgement I have received from ambassador Syed Ahsan Raza Shah. This has motivated me even further to work hard and contribute to a positive image of Pakistan in the international community. I aim to set an example for the younger generation and inspire them to work hard with dedication and focus to achieve success in life.”
Hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, Adnan Khan completed his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from CECOS University, Peshawar in 2016. “I secured distinction during my studies. After completing my bachelor’s, I got admission to the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Qatar University (QU), in 2017. To carry out the necessary research work, I joined the Advanced Multifunctional Materials Laboratory (AMFML), research group at the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) headed by renowned scientist Dr Abdul Shakoor. He supervised my entire research thesis.”
Talking about his academic excellence, Khan said: “I have been awarded the Best Thesis and Graduate Excellence Award. I am also very thankful to Dr Anwarul Hasan, associate professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, for his valuable guidance, suggestions and keeping me motivated. My accomplishments include 12 research articles in SCI-indexed, reputed international journals, a book chapter, and many international/local conferences, so far.”
Khan, who was awarded the gold medal by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has joined QU as a research assistant. “I am exploring the areas of smart self-healing polymeric coatings for corrosion protection and aluminium metal matrix composites (AMMCs). My future plan is to pursue a Ph.D degree in the area of advanced materials for numerous applications and failure analysis.”      
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