Journey of a dream come true at AeU
A story of an ultimate dream come true for Assoc Prof Dr Asif Mahbub Karim when he decided to embark on a PhD journey with Asia e University (AeU) after having settled with marriage and three sons.
A former lecturer with a reputable Dhaka university a decade ago, he is presently Head of Research & Innovations & Lead Consultant, Wisdom Organisation for Research and Leadership Development (WORLD), Bangladesh.
After he graduated with a PhD degree from AeU in 2016, his career has progressed and now works as the Head of Accounting Research Group in a Malaysian university.
“In Bangladesh, fully online PhD degrees are not recognised by the government nor universities. Hence I always dream of having my PhD from abroad. I found AeU from my research as the most ideal university offering PhD in a Part Time mode providing the much needed flexibilities for the working adults with family commitments, says Dr Asif.
“Seeing is believing, so in October 2012, I visited AeU main campus in Kuala Lumpur to check out the PhD programme. I was impressed with AeU’s facilities. After a long discussion with Prof Dr Siow Heng Loke, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, I was convinced and much encouraged. On the same day, I also met my academic facilitator Dr Oo Yu Hock. His charisma and fatherly approach motivated me further as he gave me the courage to believe in myself that I can do it. I promptly registered for the programme,” he adds.
“My supervisor selected was Assoc Prof Dr Junaid M Shaikh of Curtin University Sarawak. I was guided and mentored by Prof Dr Siow and Dr Oo. Every semester, I visited Malaysia and had travelled 10 times from October 2012 till October 2016, mostly to attend AeU’s research colloquia, research workshops, research methodology classes, etc. I successfully defended my dissertation at AeU’s VIVA Voce when I was grilled by the external examiners but with good advices and sound guidelines from my mentors, I finally graduated in just 4 years, says Dr Asif.
“Throughout my past 15 years of career, I have published 14 papers in International Journals, 6 in local Journals and presented 17 papers in International Conferences and published 3 books. Many of my research articles are now in review process and expect to be published in 2017. During my PhD journey, I also published around 15 research papers from Australia, Bangladesh, India and New Zealand. My paper co-authored by my PhD supervisor, and advisor, Prof Dr Oo, titled Solution of Adapting Creative Accounting Practices: An In depth Perception Gap Analysis among Accountants and Auditors of Listed Companies, which received the Best Paper Award from Australia Academy of Business Leadership (AABL) in Sydney, Australia. This paper was presented at Dhaka International Business and Social Science Research Conference (DIBSRC 2016). This paper was extracted from my PhD thesis submitted to AeU titled Perception of Creative Accounting: Gap Analysis – Solution Among Auditors and Accountants in Bangladesh,” declares Dr Asif.
“My PhD journey was tough yet interesting. I made sacrifices of my social life, family and friends.
I spent lots of time glued into researches, books, periodicals, journals and academic writing. I remember Dr Oo once said “You must smell the books in the library.”
This phrase acted like a catalyst to me in constantly reading and doing research from AeU’s physical and digital library. I am really fortunate to have been a part of AeU’s community which included having a wonderful administrative team that assisted me,” he adds.
“My PhD dream is a reality now. The AeU’s PhD programme has given me broader perspectives and greater insights of the business best practices. Mingling with fellow students and distinguished academics from different parts of the globe has enabled me to gain from their experiences and the cross fertilisation of ideas. The networking through my journey at AeU, has increased my confidence and aptitude to a different altitude. I would not hesitate to recommend anyone who are interested in lifelong learning o pursue their degree with AeU,” Dr Asif testifies.
AeU offers nearly 40 academic programmes, from diploma to doctorate levels. All academic programs offered are in compliance with international standards, approved by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and accredited with the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA).
AeU has spread its wings to the members of ACD countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Maldives and also to non- member countries of ACD such as Denmark, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Namibia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, Mauritius and the United Kingdom.
Today, AeU has produced 11,000 graduates and attracted many students. AeU now has more than 22,000 students from 84 countries from around the world.
Apply online now as all intakes for postgraduate research programmes are open throughout the year. For more information, visit www.aeu.edu.my, email: enquiries@aeu.edu.my or call toll free 1-300-300-238.