Kafait admired the cultural diversity amid the beautiful landscape of Ås.
Name: Kafait Ullah
Job: Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences, University of Sialkot, Sialkot, Pakistan
Study Programme: Global Development Studies
Completed studies at NMBU: 2009
Could you tell us a little about yourself and your current role? How did your career path lead you there?
After completing my master's in Global Development Studies from Noragric, NMBU (then UMB), I completed my PhD in 2015, in Energy Governance and Innovations from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. After my PhD, I worked as an Assistant Professor earlier and then as an Associate Professor at US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Energy (USPCAS-E), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan for 8 years. I joined the University of Sialkot in January 2024 as a professor and Dean of the faculty.
What attracted you to your programme at NMBU?
NMBU has been a beautiful place for the students. It is welcoming, healthy and natural setting for conducting research on life, environmental and development studies.
What was the most rewarding or memorable part of your studies?
The most memorable part was living in Pentagon with people from diverse nationalities and cultures. Sharing ideas and foods in wonderful get-togethers from different parts of the world is something that still make me happy occasionally.
How did you experience the academic and social environment at NMBU
That was the most satisfying part of my stay at NMBU. Cultural diversity in the midst of natural beauty is something that I still miss the most. It was so attractive to me that I have aspired to be part of that community once more in life but I think time has moved ahead.
How do you use the knowledge or skills you acquired during your studies in your current job?
Although I did not take any course to learn Norsk but from interactions with Norwegian fellows, I learnt basic conversations. Now, sometimes my kids ask about different words from Norsk which really remind me of missing the opportunity to learn Norsk more seriously.
What further career plans do you have?
I plan to excel more in my research and academic endeavours and work for the extension of my research area to the new dimensions.
What advice would you give to current or future students?
I will advise the current and prospective students to spend their maximum time to do best in their studies, make new friends at a place of global diversity such as NMBU and also learn about the Norwegian culture and language which will really benefit you in your life ahead.