Guwahati: The Chancellor, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya and Chairman, ERD Foundation Guwahati, Mahbubul Hoque, received the Visionary Edupreneur, 2017 Award which was handed over on Monday by Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of New Delhi in the presence of the former President Pranab Mukherjee, according to a USTM communique.
Hoque has been the first person from the North East India to receive this honour. Mr Philippe Le Gall, High Commissioner of Seychelles to India along with more than 100 Vice Chancellors of reputed universities all over the country and distinguished academicians were present on the occasion. The program was organised on the occasion of 83rd birth anniversary of former President , Pranab Mukherjee.
Raghav Mittal, Editor, Rethink India said that the reason behind nominating Mahbubul Hoque as one of the Visionary Edupreneurs of India was that he had displayed unrelenting effort and undeterred spirit to empower the rural people of the region through educational development.
Mahbubul Hoque, a post-graduate in computer science from Aligarh Muslim University began his educational entrepreneurial career with one computer and four students in Guwahati in February 2001. At present, he is running the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya, one engineering college, one law school, one B.Ed college, one women’s college, one career guidance centre, one education rehabilitation centre and two CBSE affiliated schools. It must be mentioned that 20 per cent of the students enrolled in all the educational institutions set up by Hoque are taken from the under privileged backward sections of the society and they receive free education, apart from many getting merit and other scholarships.
The national level 5th Estate Higher Education Awards 2017 were conferred in different categories including: Central Universities, State Universities, Deemed to be Universities, Corporate Led Private Universities and Edupreneur led Private universities. The organiser Rethink India is a nationalist think tank founded by alumni of AIIMS & IITs.
