Aligarh: Adeeba Khan was awarded first prize, while Muneer Raza Khan and Rehan placed second and third respectively for showcasing their core business skills and expertise in the three-month competition’s “Step-Ahead” competition Stimulating Urban Renewal Through Entrepreneurship (SURE℠ ) University of Houston Workshop at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Department of Commerce.
Congratulate the winners and other participants at the farewell ceremony; guest of honour, Professor Mohammad Gulrez (Vice Chancellor of AMU Pro) said, “The unique partnership between business owners and leaders to make aspiring entrepreneurs understand the needs of diverse stakeholders and contextualizing the role that entrepreneurship can play outside of the sometimes exclusive world of startups provided an unparalleled opportunity for everyone involved in the workshop.”
He pointed out; AMU has a huge role and responsibility in disseminating and implementing the required set of general and specific principles and values in society through teaching, research and popularization.
Prof. Gulrez insisted on promoting the applied work done in Aligarh and highlighted how WBU implements and promotes government initiatives for the promotion of entrepreneurship.
“The SURE℠ program connects students, entrepreneurs and executives to achieve the goals of economic empowerment of entrepreneurs from underresourced communities and to successfully train students in practical, human-centered skills,” said Guest of Honour, Pawan Agarwal (District Governor, Rotary Club, Kashipur).
He added, “India is a big market due to its population with abundant human resources and the need of the hour is to adapt to the changing scenario with the help of digital tools.
In the welcome speech, Prof. Mohsin Khan (Program Chair and WBU Finance Officer) expressed his joy and gratitude to the resource persons for imparting knowledge to the participants and providing them with hands-on experience.
Prof. Nasir Zameer Qureshi (Dean, Faculty of Commerce) and Prof. Imam ul Haque (Chair, Department of Commerce) motivated participants by sharing valuable insights into the key elements of successful business start-up.
Lalesh Saxena (Rotary District Chair for CSR) announced the results of the “Step-Ahead” contest.
Extending the vote of thanks, Professor Asiya Chaudhary (Programme Manager) said that a total of 12 consultants and 22 contractors took part in the three-month workshop.
She also led the SURE℠ workshop in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding she signed on behalf of AMU with Professor Saleha Khummawala, University of Houston, USA.
Javed Ahmad Siddiqui (Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI), Rajman (Deputy Commissioner, District Industry Centre), Brijesh (Deputy Commissioner, DIC), Anshuman Dey (Deputy Regional Director, Canara Bank), Ishtiyaque Ali (Founding Partner, Law Firm Orbit, Mumbai), Anil Varshney (Chartered Accountant), Jafar Ghayas (Retd. Divisional Manager, Binzagar Company, Saudi Arabia), Dr Nasir Mansoor, Dr Gaurav, Dr Asif Akhtar and Faiz Ahmed were the resource persons.
The workshop provided an educational platform as well as a networking platform facilitating a value-added partnership between students, industry experts and potential entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities and diverse backgrounds.
During the program; potential entrepreneurs were honed in accounting, taxation, law, marketing, financial literacy, and banking, among other areas. Student consultants from the Department of Commerce assisted budding entrepreneurs in the workshop.
