Akhtarul Wasey (born 1 September 1951) is the president of Maulana Azad University,

Jodhpur, India Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the Ki ...

, and a former professor of

Islamic Studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

. He taught at Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University) in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

, where he remains professor emeritus in the Department of Islamic Studies.

Early life and education

Wasey was born on September 1, 1951, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh to Hairat bin Wahid and Shahida Hairat. He is the oldest of six children. Wasey attended Primary School No. 16, the City High School of Aligarh Muslim University, and Aligarh Muslim University where he earned a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

(Hons.) in Islamic studies in 1971, a

Bachelor of Theology The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...

in 1975, a

Master of Theology Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a sta ...

in 1976, and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

in Islamic studies in 1977. He also completed a short-term course in the Turkish language from Istanbul University in 1983.

Career

On August 1, 1980 he joined Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi as lecturer and worked there till 31 August 2016.Wasey was a lecturer, reader and professor at Jamia Milia Islamia University in New Delhi from 1980-2016, serving as the director of Zakir Husain Institute of Islamic Studies and later becoming head of the Department of Islamic Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Languages. He is currently the president of Maulana Azad University in Jodhpur and remains a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia. In March 2014, Wasey was appointed by Indian President Shri Pranab Mukherjee to a three-year term as Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India, and became the first Urdu-speaking commissioner since 1957. Wasey is the editor of four Islamic journals: ''Islam Aur Asr-e-Jadeed''; ''Islam and the Modern Age''; ''Risala Jamia''; and ''Islam Aur Adhunik Yug''.

Awards and honors

*1985 Award from Urdu Academy, Delhi and UP Urdu Academy on "Sir Syed Ki Taleemi Tehreek" *1996 Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Award *2008 Fulbright Fellowship *2013

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

award from President

Pranab Mukherjee Dr. Pranab Mukherjee (11 December 193531 August 2020) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 13th president of India from 2012 until 2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee was a senior leader in the India ...

of India *2014 Makhdoom Quli Medal from the President of Turkmenistan *2014 Daktur-e-Adab from Jamia Urdu, Aligarh

References

External links

Faculty page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wasey, Akhtarul Living people 21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam 21st-century Indian Muslims Aligarh Muslim University alumni 1951 births Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education People from Aligarh Istanbul University alumni Academic staff of Jamia Millia Islamia Scholars from Uttar Pradesh