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'Shamas-ur-Rehman
Toor' is my full name, but 'Shams' is what I preferred to be called. Born
and brought up in Pakistan, I obtained my early education in my native city
of Pakpatten - a small town known for Sufis, Islamic scholars, and an old
civilization. Harappa, one of the oldest ancient site of historical remains
is only an hour drive from Pakpattan. This small city - formerly known as
Ajudhan or Katora - is known for its peaceful people, hospitality, and
culture it has retained over the centuries. I obtained my initial schooling
and went to college in Pakpattan; played in its grounds, and grew up in a
rather calm environment that is hardly known to a big-city-dweller.
After my secondary education, I relocated to Lahore for further education.
I obtained bachelors degree in Civil Engineering with Honors from
University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. Having done
well, I was offered to join NESPAK (Pvt. Ltd.), the biggest consulting firm
in construction sector of Pakistan. I joined NESPAK's Structures Division
and worked as Structural Design Engineer on various overseas projects. In the
meanwhile, I was continuing with my post-graduate studies at UET-Lahore.
Then came a big turning point in my life, I was awarded the Scholarship by
Royal Thai Govt (King of Thailand Scholarship) to pursue my higher
education at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok, Thailand, one of
the leading and prestigious institutions in the region. This was indeed a
defining episode. I was determined to pursue my further education without
any financial help from my parents - who had already supported me so much.
I went to Thailand in August 2003 and lived there for almost two years
during which I completed the degree of M. Eng. in Construction, Engineering
and Infrastructure Management from School of Civil Engineering at AIT. Life
in AIT was a fantastic experience which I always find hard to capture in
words. I will write about AIT in a separate page.
While I was conducting my thesis research in masters, I was awarded
the National University of Singapore (NUS) Research Scholarship Award
to pursue PhD in Project Management at Department of Building, School of
Design and Environment. Here came another defining point in my life when I
came to Singapore in July 2005 to do PhD, something I had always dreamt of
doing throughout my academic career. With blessings of Allah (swt), I
completed my PhD dissertation in 2008 and was awarded the degree in the
commencement of 2009. I moved to Sydney (Australia) the same year and
joined University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Faculty of the Built
Environment (FBE).
Then
came another defining turns of my life. I was comfortably settled down in
Sydney and was envisioning my future as an academic for next 5-10 years.
But my mother got sick and I had to urgently return home. It got me
thinking that I was living far away from my family for many years. I
decided to settle closer to my parents so I have a peace of mind that I am
not far away. I did not know how to do it. Call it serendipity, by the
Grace of Allh, there came an opportunity from the Islamic Development Group
(IDBG). It was intriguing to move to Saudi Arabia, closer to Makkah,
Madina, and my parents; and also be able to serve the Ummah, which I had
always wanted to. I finally made a decision and moved to Jeddah. 2009 also
brought another major and beautiful change in my life. I got married to Dr.
Mahrukh, who also relocated to Jeddah with me.
If
I look back into my life, I find myself an enormously blessed person. I
have a wonderful family, a large number to great friends from around the
world, and above all, a very exciting and fulfilling life. Allah has
blessed me beyond my expectations and capabilities. I have been able to
secure scholarships and awards in both curricular and co-curricular
activities. This webpage highlights some of what I have achieved and much of
what I dream to obtain. What I have done so far was for myself. From here
on, I want to do things for others - my family, my people, my country, my
friends, and people of this world. I wish I can give back to the society
and contribute my part to bring peace, prosperity, and harmony to the world
we live in. In separate pages, I will outline my dreams, ambitions, and
motivations with which I am now living my everyday life.
Shams, March 22, 2010
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