~ Shift Happens the Paradigm way

Salam alaikum,

It snowed furiously the night before I left over for my new found love.

It was mid-November, so the snow was wet and slushy, not dry enough to stick. But the moisture stained the soft soil at the trailhead a dove gray, and spiced the air with the scent of ponderosa pine.

On the proviso that I would return sooner, my grey-headed professor lemme go. But then the condition wasn't much of a *my way or the highway* sort, so i changed my mind & stayed instead.

Just a wee while ago, someone asked me - again - why i came over to reside here? And I started recapitulating the almost natural move.

The work environment back there was cool & so were the...

The work environment back there was cool & so were the researchers around, the accommodation by the sea was akin to dreams, scholarship was sufficient enough to let me afford a sports neo besides fulfilling the basics for the two of us. Summers were green, with rocks spouting vegetation.
Winters ... dark and gloomy, chilled air, and tons of snow.
My professor was a cool chap, my post-doc supervisor was an easy going boss, and colleagues were friendly bunch of people.

Despite all that, November of 2008 saw me frantically packing my stuff up to board a Turkish airlines off to Arabia.

It came naturally, since the body had its hands full in comfort, while the soul was left in tatters.
I was at the mercy of my computer screen to tell me the time for prayers, the time to fast, the time to consummate the fast, the time for err.. everything.
The only sanctuary for the soul was the Friday prayer.
And though, I tried to pray in the Masjid .. still I could feel my schedule & the miles of driving barricading me from having such a luxury more than once a day.

After applying to a more than 3 dozen vacancies.. i was finally good_to_go.

So there I were with my TEK Scholar credentials, in a nearly empty arena in a deep desert town, sitting infront of that bearded gentle old man briefing me on how & where to begin, making his pitch.

Beside him on the office table sat a chunk of paper weight & a card holder the size of home plate. Dozens of purple and white cards push up from it
stared out at me like shards of stencils. "You're welcome here" he said. "But we need to start working ... like now!"
The three or four other post docs glanced past their screens, thinking it over: 'Should they offer their services too?'
Above the place, a sign read, "Researchers' Den - where research roars & researchers excel."

The realization of doing applied & useful research could be seen all over here.

Proposals were being scribbled down for prestigious projects announced by funding bodies, infrastructures were being built, and researchers were working at full throttle, with a cinche of doubt still loaming around in their hearts.

Then, one fine morning our group won several projects worth 2M SRs, alhamduliLLAh.
And so, we were pushing to gain center_of_excellence status; a novel paradigm introduced by the higher ups, targeted to fund three institutes from all over KSA with exceptional research team, research plans & credentials.
[ & Kudos to you guys too! - you know who you are]

I for one, was also quite frankly pleased to see their bulk of research related to water conservation; though a local issue, yet with a great global impact in future.

The main objective right now is to replicate the systems that already exist, minimizing the influence of the west.

Unfortunately, these guys are at the very inception for now, & there are only so many people pushing this idea ahead.

I do hope though, down the line of time it'll become more & more obvious for the masses to realize that dependence on others for tech. is rather a bane.

Even with lot of hiccups & hiatuses, the torch-bearers of this *change* are able to accumulate enough funding & future seems to be promising - inshAllah.

To wit;

~ King Saud University seeks waste water-reuse.
~ State space analysis of soil water content & textural fractions & other research stuff.
~ KSU, Yale and Nanyang University Forge Research Relations.
~ The Inauguration of ACWA Power Chair for Water & Energy, KSU.
~ Cooperation between the Ministry of Water & Electricity and Azzamil Chair at KSU.


Otoh, Pakistan lies on the other side of the spectrum, as in very many well-wit & educated people with an independent thinking are tryna come up with something useful for this Ummah & country.

There are numerous xamples in one pak city alone;
I came to know about a guy who holds a mere B.Com trying to generate electricity harnessing solar energy.
His roof top is his lab.

Then there was an Agri-Engineer who single handedly developed machines from water-sprinkler systems to a full-fledge mini-tractor.

Similarly, there are lot of people out there in chemical industry, trying to come up with alternatives for the market chemicals.
Then there are electrical engineers & on & on.

Real problem there, nevertheless, ain't that people don't know what's useful & what's not - its the funding & acceptance at the government level.
Thats where the dawn goes dimmer under duress.

At this point, i'd wish that organizations like OIC quit being 'oh i see' & start really working - trying to find talent & fund raisers alike -
within our Ummah.

Curiously, if wishes were arabian horses the beggars would ride...wouldn't they? hmm?

Wishes can't be realized unless we start taking things in our own hands.
I'd therefore urge my brothers excelling in technical knowledge sitting in west to come back & contribute for the Ummah!

Never mind, if u get wages less than there, or limited scholarships.
Never mind, if this or that is not up_to_your_expectations.
کُچھ پانے کیلیے کُچھ کھونا تو پڑتا ہے

Hasn't the time arrived yet to help your people?
Ask not what your people can do for you - but what you can do for your people.

So, here I am..& its a home away from home..
The best part of the story has gone untouched & is yet to be narrated..
[will soon inshAllah]
And that is being near Harmain Shareefain; Hijaaz - my dream place & a Raison D'être to move here.

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