Interview with Mohammad Imran Khan, Ph.D. Student in Pharmacology

Interviewer (Emmanuel Adutwum): Good Morning, Mr. Imran.

Mr. Imran Khan: Good Morning, Mr. Emmanuel.

- Tell us a little bit about yourself.

- OK. My name is Mohammed Imran, and I’m from Pakistan, a forth born to my parents. I came to Iran about two years ago, and I am here to continue my education in the field of Pharmacology. I’m a Ph.D. student in this field and currently in my second year.

- What was your primary motivation for going to university?

- From my childhood, I thought about helping people in my community, and I am also very much interested in scientific innovations. I needed the necessary knowledge to contribute to the development of my community and country as a whole, and this could only be achieved through my higher education in the environment of a university.

- Can you take us briefly through your application process to TUMS?

- I saw the scholarship announcement in 2011, and, by October 2011, my application had been submitted through email. The members of the Admissions Committee were also so nice, and all my queries were immediately answered within one or two working days. The whole process took about one year before I received my acceptance letter in September 2012. In general, the process was good and not so difficult, and now, I have learnt that the process is even faster for incoming students.

- You sometimes hear Iranian students say it is difficult for them to be admitted to TUMS. So how did you come here? Can you share with us your feelings when you received the notification that were admitted into this prestigious University?      

- I was filled with much joy and excitement when I received my acceptance letter. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I logged off from my account and logged in again, and, to my surprise, I saw the congratulations message again! I called my family and shared with them my moments of joy. It was an awesome moment to be admitted into this university.

- Great moment indeed!!! If you wanted to choose the most memorable day of your life, what day would it be?

- The most memorable day in my life indeed is the day I was selected as a lecturer in in the Department of Pharmacology in Udyana Institute of Medical Sciences, Abbottabad. I was selected from among nearly twenty qualified applicants, so I was really happy, and it gave me a great deal of motivation.

- Can you tell us about your family?

- My Family is a very cheerful one. In Pakistan, people prefer to live in combined families so my family consists of about twelve people, six of them grown-ups and the remaining are children at school. My elder brother is a Field Manager in a pharmaceutical industry. My family, I think is the best anybody could get.

- How do you feel about being away from your family and studying outside your country?

- Studying outside my country was always difficult for me because I love my family so much. I was particularly close to my father. This is the first time I’m studying outside my country and away from my family, and it is challenging. However, this is the only way we can benefit from different innovations of other countries so I’m trying to adapt, and this will benefit my people. The people I have met here in the university as administrators, academic staff and my fellow students are so lovely and friendly. Therefore, I feel at home over here, though a little bit homesick. [laughs]

- If you could eat dinner with someone of your choice, who would it be?

- I would definitely have a meal with my lovely friend, named Jamal Ahmad, who has been my friend since childhood.

- How has this person influenced or contributed to your early life?

- We have been friends since childhood. His advices and motivations have kept me moving in life up until now. He always supports me, and I truly can’t do without him. He has contributed a lot to my education till now.

- Do you have any special plans for him in the future?

- Yeah, sure. He also has the same research interests as mine. So we’re trying to merge our research interests into a single path and work on it in the future.

- There are so many university programs offered. Why did you choose to study Pharmacology?

- Pharmacology is one of the most valuable research fields in Pakistan. To provide good medications, we need to undertake intensive research in this field, and this has motivated me to carry out research in this field. TUMS professors have also done a lot of research projects in this field, and it was wise to come and benefit from this amount of experience. We have two world renowned scientists in my department. They rank among the top 100 pharmacologists in the world.

-What would you be doing if you weren’t a student?

- [Laughing] I love playing football. So I think I would have tried my luck there if I weren’t into education.

- Mr. Imran, who do you think is a successful student?

- [Thinks quietly for a moment] A successful student, I think, is not the most academically intelligent student but a student who is hard-working, has determined clear purposes and knows, time management. Put simply, we can say that a successful student is a person who focuses on his or her goals and works hard to achieve them.

- Do you consider yourself successful in TUMS?

- Well, considering the quality of education I’ve obtained here, as well as keeping in mind my aim of coming here, I can say that, yes, I am highly successful over here.

-Do you think you will be a better person in terms of scientific development than before after your graduation from TUMS?

- Well, yes, of course. Considering the research activities and teaching approaches over here, I can say that I have gained enough knowledge in this field and I can comfortably utilize this knowledge after my graduation for the betterment of humanity and my country.

- If you wanted to mention one thing that you would always remember after your graduation from TUMS, what would it be?

- [Laughing] The nice and enjoyable trips organized by the university cannot escape my memory even if I leave TUMS. Through these trips, I have seen the beautiful traditional places in Iran. Also, the excellence of my professors here can never be neglected and I will always remember them. 

- Based on your experience in TUMS, how likely are you to recommend TUMS to prospective students who want to start or continue their academic career in higher education?

- I will wholeheartedly recommend TUMS to any prospective student who wishes to come and study either in undergraduate or postgraduate levels.

- Mr. Imran, thanks for your time.

- Thank you.