By Danish Ahmad Khan
New Delhi/Jeddah: Urdu, fourth largest language, is spoken by over 550 million people world wide. To serve future generations, there is a pressing need to re-build the brand of Urdu and execute well-planned measures to popularize and secure Urdu language, literature and culture at all levels.
Keeping this significant need in view, Rohail A. Khan, who is presently a Senior Banker, Corporate Financier, Business Developer and Middle and Near East Specialist, recently launched the Urdu Academy International (UAI) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This global think tank is devoted to espousing and popularizing the cause of Urdu language, literature and culture across the world. The new organization ‘s motto is: “Serving Urdu. Serving Islam”.
Rohail A. Khan is a Canadian national with strong parental roots in Pakistan and India. He is a well-rounded CFO, CEO, corporate financier and seasoned business developer, having above 23 years' accumulated experience acquired at multi-national financial and commercial conglomerates across USA, UK, Africa, Middle and Near East. As a Senior Banker, Rohail has worked in progressive positions at Chase Manhattan Bank, BNP Paribas / Meridien BIAO Bank, Citibank / Banque Du Caire, ABN Amro / Saudi Hollandi Bank. He possesses in-depth knowledge of Saudi and GCC markets (working and living in Saudi Arabia since 19 years), and hands-on expertise of key industries: Oil and Gas, Petrochemicals, Energy, Defence, Aviation, EPC, Contracting, Industrial Manufacturing & Trading, Steel, Transportation, Logistics, ICT, Telecommunications, Healthcare, FMCG, Real Estate, Financial Services.
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Rohail Khan is a specialist in corporate start-up, turnaround, and expansion. He has extensive experience of evaluating, financing, and managing both green and brown field projects. With Masters in Economics and Finance, he is a qualified CMA and CGA. Rohail is professionally accredited with international bodies in banking, accounting, finance, marketing, general management. He has attended advanced programs at Institute of Directors, Harvard Business School, LSE, INSEAD, and London Business School.
Rohail A. Khan has been elected as Chairman of the newlylaunced Urdu Academy International (UAI). Talking to this Correspondent, Mr. Rohail said that there is an incessant need to represent Urdu internationally and build bridges between East and the West.
"We need to assimilate and utilize Urdu as a means to enhance our knowledge about Islam. Regardless of our origin or nationality, let us admit that (after Arabic) Urdu is the largest source of knowledge and literature on Islam, Quran, and Sunnah. This is an un-deniable fact," said Rohail Khan.
Under the Academy’s flag, Rohail desires to bring together the Urdu-serving associations, societies, universities, and colleges from all over the world “under one roof”.
Rohail Khan announced the short and mid term projects of the Academy :
1. Launching a well-rounded quarterly Urdu Digest where Urdu scholars from all over the world will contribute essays, short stories and poems on multi-cultural literary and socio-economic reformatory topics.
2. Publishing a concise single-volume Urdu - to - Urdu Dictionary for the benefit of the young generation and Urdu lovers.
3. Publishing a Grand Urdu Encyclopedia, an ambitious project, to compile and publish a comprehensive fifty-volume encyclopedia as an alternate to Encyclopedia Britannia.
4. Publishing Urdu Thesaurus of Information Technology.
5. Global petition to adopt Urdu as Facebook’s official language. Next goal shall be to launch Urdu in other reputed social media portals i.e: Linked-In, Tweeter.
6. Urdu Software Project The objective is to standardize the top three Urdu software applications and develop compatible operating systems in Urdu.
7. International Directory of Urdu writers, poets, philosophers, and scientists.
8. Urdu Workshops and Symposia to be organized at local schools.
9. Urdu Research and Publishing Center (URPC). To initiate research projects on Urdu dictionary, grammar, translation, lexicography, etymology, critique, and biography. URPC will establish state-of-the-art, high-tech publishing house dedicated to publish “electronic books”.
11. Urdu Academy International shall also organize “International Literary Conferences and Urdu Mushairas” by setting up joint ventures with local and international literary societies.
New Delhi/Jeddah: Urdu, fourth largest language, is spoken by over 550 million people world wide. To serve future generations, there is a pressing need to re-build the brand of Urdu and execute well-planned measures to popularize and secure Urdu language, literature and culture at all levels.
Keeping this significant need in view, Rohail A. Khan, who is presently a Senior Banker, Corporate Financier, Business Developer and Middle and Near East Specialist, recently launched the Urdu Academy International (UAI) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This global think tank is devoted to espousing and popularizing the cause of Urdu language, literature and culture across the world. The new organization ‘s motto is: “Serving Urdu. Serving Islam”.
Rohail A. Khan is a Canadian national with strong parental roots in Pakistan and India. He is a well-rounded CFO, CEO, corporate financier and seasoned business developer, having above 23 years' accumulated experience acquired at multi-national financial and commercial conglomerates across USA, UK, Africa, Middle and Near East. As a Senior Banker, Rohail has worked in progressive positions at Chase Manhattan Bank, BNP Paribas / Meridien BIAO Bank, Citibank / Banque Du Caire, ABN Amro / Saudi Hollandi Bank. He possesses in-depth knowledge of Saudi and GCC markets (working and living in Saudi Arabia since 19 years), and hands-on expertise of key industries: Oil and Gas, Petrochemicals, Energy, Defence, Aviation, EPC, Contracting, Industrial Manufacturing & Trading, Steel, Transportation, Logistics, ICT, Telecommunications, Healthcare, FMCG, Real Estate, Financial Services.
Rohail A. Khan has been elected as Chairman of the newlylaunced Urdu Academy International (UAI). Talking to this Correspondent, Mr. Rohail said that there is an incessant need to represent Urdu internationally and build bridges between East and the West.
"We need to assimilate and utilize Urdu as a means to enhance our knowledge about Islam. Regardless of our origin or nationality, let us admit that (after Arabic) Urdu is the largest source of knowledge and literature on Islam, Quran, and Sunnah. This is an un-deniable fact," said Rohail Khan.
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| Rohail A.Khan |
Rohail Khan announced the short and mid term projects of the Academy :
1. Launching a well-rounded quarterly Urdu Digest where Urdu scholars from all over the world will contribute essays, short stories and poems on multi-cultural literary and socio-economic reformatory topics.
2. Publishing a concise single-volume Urdu - to - Urdu Dictionary for the benefit of the young generation and Urdu lovers.
3. Publishing a Grand Urdu Encyclopedia, an ambitious project, to compile and publish a comprehensive fifty-volume encyclopedia as an alternate to Encyclopedia Britannia.
4. Publishing Urdu Thesaurus of Information Technology.
5. Global petition to adopt Urdu as Facebook’s official language. Next goal shall be to launch Urdu in other reputed social media portals i.e: Linked-In, Tweeter.
6. Urdu Software Project The objective is to standardize the top three Urdu software applications and develop compatible operating systems in Urdu.
7. International Directory of Urdu writers, poets, philosophers, and scientists.
8. Urdu Workshops and Symposia to be organized at local schools.
9. Urdu Research and Publishing Center (URPC). To initiate research projects on Urdu dictionary, grammar, translation, lexicography, etymology, critique, and biography. URPC will establish state-of-the-art, high-tech publishing house dedicated to publish “electronic books”.
11. Urdu Academy International shall also organize “International Literary Conferences and Urdu Mushairas” by setting up joint ventures with local and international literary societies.