US universities visit and appreciate cultural heritage of AMU

A delegation of 12 students from leading US universities Saturday evening appreciated the rich cultural heritage of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

Universities from America visited Aligarh

Students from several institutions including University of Yale, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, spent a day interacting with students and faculty members, to get an insight into the present status of academics and the interplay of various stake-holders.

Facilities in AMU

Responding to queries from visiting students at an interactive session Prof Shafey Kidwai, Chairman, Department of Mass Communication highlighted the educational opportunities and infrastructural facilities offered by AMU.

Prof Rizwan Khan, Chairman, Department of English and Director, Internal Quality Assurance Committee underlined the significance of personality development and character building while attaining quality education, which makes AMU a unique centre of knowledge. He urged the visiting guests to make a linger stay at AMU campus to get acquainted with its rich cultural ethos and distinct character.

About AMU

The university grew out of the work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the great Muslim reformer and statesman, who in the aftermath of the Indian War of Independence of 1857 felt that it was important for Muslims to gain education and become involved in the public life and government services in India. Raja Jai Kishan helped Sir Syed in establishing the university

The British decision to replace the use of Persian in 1842 for government employment and as the language of Courts of Law caused deep anxiety among Muslims of the sub-continent. Sir Syed saw a need for Muslims to acquire proficiency in the English language and Western sciences if the community were to maintain its social and political clout, particularly in Northern India. He began to prepare foundation for the formation of a Muslim University by starting schools at Moradabad (1858) and Ghazipur (1863).His purpose for the establishment of the Scientific Society in 1864, in Aligarh was to translate Western works into Indian languages as a prelude to prepare the community to accept Western education and to inculcate scientific temperament among the Muslims. The intense desire to ameliorate the social conditions of Indian Muslims led Sir Syed to publish the periodical, ‘Tehzibul Akhlaq’ in 1870.