[AMU] Mentor-ship Program to Study Abroad: Day One

Snowy Rahi | November 11, 2016

The ‘Mentorship program to study abroad’ is an initiative taken by the Club for Short Evening Courses (CSEC), Cultural Eucation Centre (CEC), AMU. The workshop is conducted by Zulfiqar Sheth, a researcher scholar from Department of Economics, AMU.

Zulfiqar Sheth addressing students | Photo: Faisal Nadeem

First workshop of the ‘Mentorship Program to Study Abroad’ took place at Kennedy auditorium, on 11th November 2016, Aligarh Muslim University.

The event was inaugurated by a welcome delivered by Faisal Nadeem who is the Secretary of Club for Short Evening Courses, Cultural Education Center (CEC), at Aligarh Muslim University. After the welcome note was delivered, Zulfiqar Sheth took over. He started his workshop by giving a tribute to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, 11th of November being Azad’s birth date and National Education Day. There was a short orientation session, after which the workshop commenced in full swing.

Students at gathering | Photo: Faisal Nadeem

Sheth worked on breaking the major taboos that hold a student back from applying abroad for further studies. He took up the topic regarding the expenditure in such expedition. He also said “by studying in an English medium university you gain the basic working knowledge of the English language, which is enough. It’s a myth that only a Pro in English language can study abroad.”


Zulfiqar Sheth supported his argument by giving his own example of his journey from a Madarsa to the USA. A myth that only English Medium or Convent pass-out students go abroad for higher studies is absolutely wrong, he added.


He supported his argument by giving his own example of his journey from a Madarsa to the USA. A list of the things one should cover before applying abroad was presented by him.

Come and join the race says Zulfiqar Sheth | Photo: Faisal Nadeem

He gave a brief introduction on each of the elements on the list, which would later be covered in detail in the workshop to follow. This followed a question and answer round in which the students asked questions regarding their queries on the before explained topics.

To motivate students he showed a video presentation on the life on Pechard Turere, a nine year old Kenyan boy, of how his journey from being a cattle herder to studying aircraft engineering at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Sheth said “your will, your creativity, your ideas will take you abroad. And never fear failure, it is the most amazing and beautiful thing in your life. You fail you learn, and in order to learn you first need to change your course of direction.”

He then presented a list of a number of important scholarships to the students to take note of.

The day one workshop came to an end with another round of question and answers. Followed by a vote of thanks by Faisal Nadeem.

Snowy Rahi

Snowy Rahi

Snowy Rahi studies Psychology Honors at Women's College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. She is a member of varsity's Debating and Literary Club. She also contributes to The Times of India (Aligarh Edition). She aspires to be a writer.