Leading by Example: A Journey with His Majesty the King’s Scholarship
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Being selected as a recipient of His Majesty the King’s Scholarship at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand was both an honour and a profound responsibility. Featured alongside fellow recipients in the Bangkok Post article “Leading by Example,” I shared my journey and aspirations as a Pakistani scholar pursuing Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
“I felt a great sense of awe to become a recipient of this prestigious scholarship and my greatest desire is to use the knowledge that I receive here to develop my country. I would like to have the dedication to see my country make progress,” I expressed to the Bangkok Post in 2016.
A Prestigious Legacy
The Asian Institute of Technology has been offering His Majesty the King’s scholarships since 1970, with more than 600 students benefiting from them. Twenty-two nationalities from predominantly Asian countries have been awarded this prestigious scholarship to pursue master’s degrees. Out of 60 students who received HM King’s scholarships in the last two years, 22 pursued an MBA, whilst the remaining studied engineering. Engineering, computer science, information management and structural engineering are popular programmes with students.
This scholarship programme embodies His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s vision of empowering individuals with knowledge to serve their nations and communities.
The Power of Remote Sensing for Development
My choice to study Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) was driven by their immense potential for environmental and natural resources management. These technologies serve as essential tools for planning, monitoring, and managing resource utilisation at country, regional, and global levels.
As I shared in the article: “This study, which can be used in various sectors including disaster management, is vital to the progress of Pakistan.”
Addressing Critical Challenges
Pakistan faces significant challenges, particularly in disaster management. “Flooding has not just caused loss of human life but also property in Pakistan. Remote sensing has made substantial contributions in flood monitoring and damage assessment that leads disaster management authorities to contribute significantly. This is probably the first of a handful of areas I would like to address when I return home,” I explained to the Bangkok Post.
The potential applications of remote sensing technology for national development were clear, particularly in addressing Pakistan’s infrastructure and environmental challenges.
Fellow Scholarship Recipients
I had the privilege of being featured alongside remarkable fellow scholarship recipients. Kuruwita Imbulana, a 23-year-old water engineering and management student from Sri Lanka, and I shared similar sentiments about feeling honoured to receive the King’s scholarships despite being foreigners, as His Majesty dedicated his life to the well-being of his subjects.
As Imbulana beautifully expressed: “What I can add to my life looking at His Majesty’s legacy is that education provides you with a platform to give back to the world and make it a better place. We all have our different roles in it and being an engineer we can do so much.”
She continued: “I have learned over the years that respect is not something you can demand but something that you have to earn. So looking at how much respect His Majesty received from people, not only Thais, I can only imagine what a great role he played in making this country what it is today.”
Following in Footsteps of Service
The scholarship programme reflects His Majesty’s philosophy of equipping people with knowledge so they can contribute to their country’s development. As the Bangkok Post noted, Imbulana and I believed that because our fields of study could impact the development and progress of our respective countries, we would be indirectly following in the footsteps of His Majesty’s desire to equip people with know-how so they could help develop their countries.
A Commitment to Progress
The experience at AIT, under the guidance of internationally acclaimed faculty, provided invaluable research experience and knowledge. The scholarship wasn’t just an educational opportunity—it was a call to leadership, a mandate to use advanced technology and research capabilities to address complex challenges facing developing nations.
This journey reinforced my belief that education provides a platform to give back to the world and make it a better place. The deep respect and love that Thais have for their King stems from his unwavering dedication to his people—a model of leadership that continues to inspire scholars from across Asia to serve with similar dedication.
This post reflects on my experience as featured in the Bangkok Post article “Leading by Example” (November 7, 2016) alongside fellow scholarship recipients Katekaewngoen Mahakhotchasenicha from Thailand and Kuruwita Imbulana from Sri Lanka.