by Shakir Ashraf
SRINAGAR: Dr Ajaz Ahmad Lone, hailing from north Kashmir’s Baramulla has become the first person from Jammu and Kashmir to bag the prestigious post-doctoral research fellowship in the Department of Social Foundations and Educational Leadership, Kulliyyah of Education at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
Currently posted as a contractual lecturer in Sociology Department at Boys Degree College Sopore, Dr Ajaz said he was “overwhelmed” and “surprised” when he received the confirmation letter of his fellowship from the Islamic University of Malaysia.
Terming it his most festive moment, Dr Ajaz said, “I am ecstatic that I received this fellowship.”
Dr Ajaz has done his schooling from Noor ul Islam, a local school in Baramulla. He then went on to pursue his Bachelors from Government Degree College Baramulla and later he did his Post Graduation in Sociology. He then completed his research from University of Kashmir’s Srinagar campus.
Dr Ajaz said he feels proud to have done his Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from “reputed” Iqbal Institute of Culture and Philosophy of the University of Kashmir.
Dr Ajaz has participated in over a dozen national and international conferences and seminars. He is also the chairman of Iqbal Research Institute (Kashmir Branch) based in Lahore, Pakistan. He is also an active member of Iqbal academies of India, Pakistan and Iran.
“The duration of the fellowship is twelve months and I am the first Iqabalian scholar who received an international fellowship to study Allama Iqbal and Ali Shariati,” Dr Ajaz said.
Till now Dr Ajaz has published his three books, Iqbal and Contemporary Muslim: A Sociological Perspective, Iqbal Shariati and Islamic Sociology along with Ali Shariati: A Forgotten Revolutionary.
