A young Kashmiri, currently studying in the best institution in Hungary said he hopes to run a start-up that will help skill the already-educationte youth, Umaima Reshi reports
Srinagar-born young man, Sheikh Harris has got one of the top scholarships to study abroad. He has always been a big dreamer about his aims in life and wanted to accomplish something better. It was his dream to study abroad and he worked on this diligently and finally is studying in one of the best institutions.
Having a very usual upbringing, Harris was schooled at Vision School of Education, in Srinagar’s Lal Bazaar. He passed his twelfth grade from MPML Higher Secondary School, Bagi Dilawar Khan with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, locally known as non-medical subject group.
Later he passed the JEE Mains and got admission in Mechanical Engineering at the Institute of Technology, University of Kashmir. It was there that he applied to the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship, which offers opportunities for students applying for Bachelor, Master or PhD all over the world. After the application process was over, he was selected. This fetched Harris admission to the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary.
Reading An Application
Admitting that the process was not so easy, Harris said he prepared himself for a year. Diligently, he created his portfolio with transcripts, recommendation letters, and application forms, and then finally went through the interview.
“I had an aim of achieving something big and the raw image of that got clearer and clearer with time,” Harris said. “I was always very keen on cars, so I decided to go into the mechanical sector only. After my graduation, I got a more magnified view of what to do further and gained more exposure.”
Harris admitted that his success has good contributions from the company he kept – his friends. “I made good friends and they have a huge contribution to my status right now. They also had similar goals and the shared zest to acquire good quality education and that was really a perk for me,” Harris said.
With good technological assets, Harris did a lot of research and gained as much knowledge as he could. He also took guidance from people who were already studying abroad through a fellowship or scholarship and prepared himself according to the same patterns.
Peer Help
“I had also applied to many places before Hungary. There were dejections but with awareness and tact to approach, bought me different opportunities as well,” Harris said. “And after I got the fellowship opportunity, it just needed some documentation verification and recognized degree certificates to start over my career.”
Harris said that young people need to only be shown a path and how to walk or work on it and rest is their own responsibility. “When I arrived in Budapest, I got to know about things that I was unaware off,” Harris said. “I had just learned about a drop of the ocean, but when I came here, I got a clear vision and exposure to different matters. I gained more confidence, and understood how to acquire knowledge in a more proper way,”
The difference in the approach that Sheikh Harris observed in Hungary was that every professional knew how to exercise their powers. With power comes responsibility and whether it was a student, a professor, or a teacher, everybody knew their roles properly. Everyone performed their duties very decorously and in an appropriate manner. For him, they are the model people with absolute belief in a system of ethics.
“We have never got an opportunity in Kashmir to upgrade our skills. People only emphasize degrees and grades,” Harris regretted. “In Budapest, we have had the best credit-based classes, projects, practicals, and semester-wise skill-based progression. There has never been an issue with marks. Back home, we have the requirement of degrees, while here we require skill and expertise. One of the biggest differences that have kept us behind from others is, rather than capability, the theory is given importance.”
“Apart from education, whatever voluntary work, hobby, or experience one has creates a balance and good opportunity for the future. The curricular activities, awareness programmes, funding, and intercultural competency also construct a good asset for people willing to attain better proficiency,” he added.
Harris had already prepped his mind and convinced his parents before opting for the scholarship. Europe has had a peaceful culture and environment which was a plus point for having no restrictions from his parents. He is looking forward to exercising the knowledge gained, in Kashmir, for the betterment of his own society and to contribute as a citizen of the country.
Helping Others
When he arrived in Hungary, he was the only Kashmiri, and later on, tried to tie up his friends as well for educational purposes. He believes that people especially in Kashmir should come out at least once in their life to see the progress of the world and compare what they still have to learn.
“For now I want to evolve in skills and be a job creator and whatever people in Kashmir are looking for, I would want to help them in setting career opportunities whether that from mechanical, electrical, civil or any other particular field,” Harris said. “People who are holding degrees, without jobs should have a way to exercise their capabilities and I will surely have a start-up in Kashmir which will take time but will surely have some benefit.”
