Ahsan Malik

professor with an engineering background

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Ahsan Malik is a professor and teacher. Malik is a professor. Soon after 2006 he began teaching, and he has since worked in his field for about 15 years.

Education

Malik began his engineering studies in 2002, and they ended in 2006. [1]

Career

Malik is a professor. Soon after 2006 he began teaching, and he has since worked in his field for about 15 years. During that time he has worked with industry and with the defence sector. He says that many of his students now run their own companies. [1]

Malik says that understanding the first motor he ran took him at least a month, because he had no resources or books describing it. He says that he now teaches a student the same motor in about five minutes. [1]

Views on engineering and national capability

Malik says that engineering is needed more now than at any earlier time. He says engineers can serve in defence, medicine, automation and textiles, and that they should find and solve the problems around them. [1]

He says that during COVID there was a large shortage of medical appliances and instruments, because the country is not self-sufficient in them. He says COVID made the need to stand on one's own feet felt more strongly, and that things should be developed indigenously. He also says that there is no need to reverse engineer or reinvent something that neighbouring countries have already developed and make available. In his view, a technology that works abroad may not work in his country, because the intellectual capability of the masses has not reached the level of those countries. [1]

Views on entrepreneurship

Malik says people should do a market survey and study what the market needs. He says that in entrepreneurship, whatever device one builds, it is important to know where it will be used. He says he knows students who built strong products but have no clients. He also says that the students who came to entrepreneurship later did better. [1]

Views on agriculture

Malik says engineering can benefit agriculture more than almost any other field. He describes a multi-storey building used for vertical farming, with hydroponics and aquaponics inside it. He says that, as water scarcity grows over time, there is a need to move toward drip irrigation, and that plants should be watered only when needed, after checking soil moisture and humidity. [1]

He suggests robots or drones for spraying pesticides on large farms, and says a special kind of light can be used so that a plant grows quickly and the crop is ready. He says that, through agriculture, the country might come to feed many countries of the world. [1]

Views on education and skills

Malik says students need to establish how what they study at university, from books and teachers, is relevant in different fields. He says many graduates are unclear about the use and relevance of what they studied. He says schools should prepare students for life, not only for engineering. [1]

He says only 8 to 10 percent of technical material proves useful to those students in industry. He lists leadership skills, teamwork skills, creativity and risk-taking ability. He says many engineers move into accounting or sales, and that graduates may start their own businesses or run family businesses. [1]

Malik says students should find the field that interests and drives them, and that a student may click in a place in marketing or in IT. He says students who think good grades are enough misread their situation. He says some students graduated with modest grades yet stayed open and explored business opportunities. He tells students to take initiative, take risks and look for opportunities around them. [1]

Views on learning and work

Malik says students today are more aware, because a gadget in their hands keeps them informed about the world. He says that when there was no internet, students had to work hard, look around and ask people. He says success needs blood, sweat and tears, and that people still need more hard work and deeper understanding of things. [1]

He says that after putting in two or three years, a person gets the price they ask for. He says people should keep upskilling constantly, and that the world is big and full of opportunities for those who open their eyes. [1]

Outlook

Malik says he often tells people not to let their circumstances define them. He says the wheel of life has about eight areas that need balance, and that people should be proactive and optimistic. He says ego blocks growth and creates more problems, and that people should stay humble. He also says a creative person keeps looking for problems even in things that seem perfect. [1]

Timeline

2002
Began engineering studies.[1]
2006
Engineering studies ended; teaching career began soon after.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-02-22 Engineering education must prepare students for life Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ahsan Malik?

Ahsan Malik is a professor who studied engineering from 2002 to 2006. He began teaching soon after and has worked in his field for about 15 years.[1]

What does Ahsan Malik do?

Ahsan Malik is a professor and teacher. He has worked with industry and with the defence sector.[1]

When did Ahsan Malik start teaching?

Ahsan Malik began teaching soon after 2006, when his engineering studies ended. He had started those studies in 2002.[1]

What does Ahsan Malik say about engineering?

Ahsan Malik says that engineering is needed more now than at any earlier time. He says engineers can serve in defence, medicine, automation and textiles, and should find and solve the problems around them.[1]

What does Ahsan Malik say about agriculture?

Ahsan Malik says engineering can benefit agriculture more than almost any other field. He points to vertical farming, drip irrigation, and robots or drones for spraying pesticides on large farms.[1]

What does Ahsan Malik say about entrepreneurship?

Ahsan Malik says people should do a market survey and study what the market needs. He adds that, whatever device one builds, it is important to know where it will be used.[1]

References

  1. Engineering education must prepare students for life . Thought Behind Things , 2021-02-22.
Show the source passages (53 statements)
  1. Ahsan Malik is a professor. In conversation with Professor Ahsan Malik, this episode explores scope of engineering in the coming future.
  2. He started his engineering studies in 2002 and they ended in 2006. Back in 2002, I started off with my engineering and it ended in 2006 and soon after that I started my teaching career.
  3. He began teaching soon after 2006. soon after that I started my teaching career
  4. He has worked in his field for about 15 years. So it's almost been 15 years main is field mein hoon.
  5. He has worked with industry and with the defence sector. bahut saari industry ke saath bhi kaam kiya, hamari defense ke saath bhi kaam kiya
  6. He says many of his students now run their own companies. hamare bahut saare bachche hain ab jinki apni companies hain
  7. He says engineering is needed more now than at any earlier time. Sabse pehli cheez in this present era, shayad jitni ab engineering ki zaroorat hai, isse pehle shayad kabhi bhi na thi.
  8. He says students need to establish how what they study at university, from books and teachers, is relevant in different fields. lekin relevance banane ki zaroorat hai ke what they are studying within the university, within from the books, from the teachers, how they are relevant in different fields.
  9. He says engineers can serve in defence, medicine, automation and textiles. hamare defense ke andar, hamari medical industry ke andar, hamari automation industry ke andar, hamari textile industry ke andar
  10. He says that during COVID there was a large shortage of medical appliances and instruments, because the country is not self-sufficient in them. Jaisa ke COVID mein aapne dekha ke hamare, humein medical appliances ka, medical instruments ka bada fuqdaan raha aur hum kyunke is cheez mein self-sufficient nahi hain
  11. He says there is no need to reverse engineer or reinvent something that is available from neighbouring countries who have already developed it. agar apne padosi mumalik se mil rahi hai aur unhone already woh cheez develop kar rahi hai, toh zaroorat nahi hai ke usko aap reverse engineer ya usko usko dobara se reinvent the wheel karein.
  12. He says engineers should find and solve the problems around them. humein apne apne problems ko apne ird-gird dhundna hai, unke liye solutions develop karne hain.
  13. He says a technology that works abroad may not work in his country, because the intellectual capability of the masses has not reached the level of those countries. ho sakta hai mere mulk mein woh na chale kyunke hamari jo intellectual capability hai masses ki woh us level pe nahi pahunchi jahan tak un mumalik ki pahunch chuki hai.
  14. He says people should do a market survey and study what the market needs. woh market survey toh karein na, market study toh karein ke market mein zaroorat kis baat ki hai
  15. He says he knows students who built strong products but have no clients. Main aise kayi bachchon ko jaanta hoon jinhone itni zabardast cheezein banayi hain lekin unke paas client nahi hai.
  16. He says that in entrepreneurship, whatever device one builds, it is important to know where it will be used. entrepreneurship mein yeh bada zaroori hai ke ek cheez aap koi bhi device banate hain, aapko pata toh ho ke woh use kidhar honi hai.
  17. He says students who turned to entrepreneurship later did better. Lekin woh bachche zyada kamyab rahe jinhone zyada der se entrepreneurship ki taraf taraf aaye.
  18. He says engineering can benefit agriculture more than almost any other field. Engineering, ab jitna fayda agriculture industry ko de sakti hai, shayad hi koi aur de sakta hai.
  19. He describes a multi-storey building used for vertical farming, with hydroponics and aquaponics inside it. Aapne multi-story ek building banayi, vertical farming ho gayi, vertical farming ho rahi hai aur uske andar hydroponics ho gaya, aquaponics ho gaya
  20. He says that, as water scarcity grows over time, there is a need to move toward drip irrigation. kyunke ab hamare paas water scarcity time ke saath badhti ja rahi hai aur pani kam hota ja raha hai, toh humein jis tarah aaj kal bahut zyada trend hai drip irrigation ka, humein us trend ki taraf jaane ki zaroorat hai.
  21. He suggests robots or drones for spraying pesticides on large farms. aap robots ya drones ko use karein, agar aapne pesticides ke sprays karne hain
  22. He says that, through agriculture, the country might come to feed many countries of the world. ho sakta hai hum duniya ko apni agriculture ke through bahut saari duniya ke mumalik ko hum feed dene wale ban jayein.
  23. He says a special kind of light can be used so that a plant grows quickly and the crop is ready. ek khaas qisam ki light aisi use karein ke woh speedy paudha grow kare aur aapke paas fasal tayar ho jaye.
  24. He says plants should be watered only when needed, after checking soil moisture and humidity. Ke paudhe ko tab pani diya jaye jab usko zaroorat hai. Soil moisture ko aap check karein, aap humidity ko check karein
  25. He says students today are more aware, because a gadget in their hands keeps them informed about the world. Student aware zyada hai, usko zyada cheezon ka pata hai. Duniya kyunki uske haath mein ek aisi gadget hai
  26. He says that when there was no internet, students had to work hard, look around and ask people. aap when there was no internet, you have to go through a lot of like hard work and you have to see and look around, ask from the people.
  27. He says understanding his first motor took him at least a month. Mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai maine apni zindagi ki jo pehli motor chalayi thi, mujhe usko sirf samajhne ke liye at least ek mahina lagta tha.
  28. He says he had no resources or books to learn the first motor from. Kyunki koi resource nahi tha, kitabein nahi thi jiske andar woh motor exist karti thi
  29. He says he now teaches a student the same motor in about five minutes. Ab main kisi bache ko woh motor chalana sikhata hoon, mujhe paanch minute lagte hain usko samjhane mein.
  30. He says success needs blood, sweat and tears. blood, sweat and tears jisko hum kehte hain, you have to go through that, then you will ultimately be successful.
  31. He says people still need more hard work and deeper understanding of things. lekin utni hi zyada humein zyada mehnat karne ki zaroorat hai, cheezon ko samajhne ki zaroorat hai.
  32. He says that after putting in two or three years, a person gets the price they ask for. Woh do-teen saal lagane ke baad woh jo price maangta hai usko milti hai.
  33. He often tells people not to let their circumstances define them. Main aksar kaha karta hoon ke do not condition yourself because of your circumstances.
  34. He says the wheel of life has about eight areas that need balance. Toh is wheel of life jiske andar takreeban aath cheezein aati hain, un sab ko balance karke aage lekar chalna bada zaroori hai
  35. He says people should be proactive and optimistic. Aap proactive hon, aap optimistic hon
  36. He says ego blocks growth and creates more problems. Jab ego hamare raste mein aa jayegi, toh phir wahan wahan pe hamari growth ruk jaati hai aur usse bahut se aur problems bante hain.
  37. He says people should stay humble. Toh yeh tawaza rakhni badi zaroori hai, apne aap ko hamesha hamesha apna jhuka hua rakhein
  38. He says a creative person keeps looking for problems even in things that seem perfect. Woh hamesha apne gird-o-pesh aisi cheezon har us har perfect cheezon mein bhi problems dhoondta hai
  39. He says schools should prepare students for life, not only for engineering. hum yeh kyun sochte hain ke we have to prepare our students for engineering? We should think ke we have to prepare our students for life.
  40. He says many engineers move into accounting or sales. Aksar engineers accounting mein chale jaate hain, koi sales mein chale jaate hain
  41. He says graduates may start their own businesses or run family businesses. Kabhi woh apne koi business shuru kar denge, kabhi apne buzurgon ka jo business hai usko sambhaal rahe honge
  42. He says only 8 to 10 percent of technical material proves useful to those students in industry. Unhone jo cheez dekhi ke 8 to 10% technical mawaad hai jo industry ke andar un bacchon ka kaam deta hai.
  43. He lists leadership skills, teamwork skills, creativity and risk-taking ability. uske leadership skills, teamwork skills, creativity, risk taking ability
  44. He says many graduates are unclear about the use and relevance of what they studied. After they graduate they are not clear ke humne jo padha hai uska mujhe fayda kya, uski relevance kya hai?
  45. He says students should find the field that interests and drives them. toh at least they they should figure this out ke woh kaunsi field hai jo unko interest deti hai, jo unko trigger deti hai
  46. He says a student may click in a place in marketing or in IT. Ho sakta hai woh marketing mein kisi jagah pe click kar jaye, ho sakta hai woh IT mein kisi jagah pe click kar jaye
  47. He says students who think good grades are enough misread their situation. aaj kal jis tarah university ke bacchon ko yeh lagta hai ke hamare ache grades aa gaye, hum ache GPAs aa gaye, bas shayad woh mere liye win-win situation hai. Halanki situation bilkul iske bar-aks hai.
  48. He says some students graduated with modest grades yet stayed open and explored business opportunities. unhone bade minimal CGPA ke saath ya kisi kisi medium mediocre GPA ke saath graduate kiya, lekin they were open, they were exploring, unhone apne liye business opportunities dekhein
  49. He says people should keep upskilling constantly. Toh aapne constantly apne aap ko upskill bhi karna hai
  50. He says the world is big and full of opportunities for those who open their eyes. duniya bahut badi hai aur opportunities bahut zyada hain. Sirf apni aankhein kholein to aapko it's a land of opportunities.
  51. He says COVID made the need to stand on one's own feet felt more strongly. Aur specially is covid mein jitni is baat ki zaroorat mehsoos hui hai ki humein apne paon pe khud khada hona hai.
  52. He says that things should be developed indigenously. Humein khud humein indigenously apni cheezein khud develop karni hain.
  53. He tells students to take initiative, take risks and look for opportunities around them. To take the initiatives, take the risk, discover around you.