“A good education is the greatest gift you can give yourself or anyone else.” Education and literacy are some of the best boons in today’s society. Through knowledge transfer countries can develop and thoughts can flow freely. Today’s day in the life is about Ali Khawaja, a professor at the American University of Sharjah and someone who has a dream to help advance innovation and entrepreneurship in the UAE. Ali is an educator, entrepreneur, photographer, techie, foodie and biker. He has a passion to learn about anything and everything he gets his hands on. He has racked up a lot of years doing what he loves. Ali has been an entrepreneur since he was 15 years old, an educator and advisor for more than 12 years at the American University of Sharjah, a strategic business consultant for 10 years, a photographer for 8 years, and a biker for life! Ali holds an MBA and BSMIS from the American University of Sharjah and several other certifications. Helping young start-ups is the newest of his passions. He is always available to discuss anything, help in any way, and call whomever he knows to help. In this quick interview with Bayt.com, Ali shares a typical day in his life. Ali’s agenda: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM This is when the war with my alarm clock and snooze button starts. It typically lasts about an hour until I give up and get out of bed. 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM After freshening up I sit on my computer desk, check my phone for emails, get updates on the social happenings on Facebook, Instagram, etc. After this, I get started on any pending work from the night before to make sure I finish it before my classes. Also, I check the download server to see which TV shows have just been updated (gives me something to look forward to). 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM I get to my office, sort out what I need to cover for the classes that day, then off to my classes! It’s great to teach the wonderful students I have; I always look forward to their interesting opinions and stories. No two days are the same. In fact, the students are also the most challenging part of my job. With instant access to information and a rapidly changing world, it’s important to keep up-to-date with technology and the ways it impacts the world. The greatest challenge I face is to push my students to see the world around them, recognize opportunities, and seize them. 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM I’m responsible to get my kids from school two days a week. This is definitely the highlight of the day. Some days we detour to McDonald’s for lunch, but most days the kids tell me stories of what’s been happening in school. 2:15 PM – 5:00 PM Back to the office and another few classes. But most of my afternoons are spent in the office meeting students who have questions. My primary role is that of an instructor. I teach four sections each semester, and in addition to that I have multiple university services I am responsible for. There is a lot of work that happens behind the scenes to enable the teaching. I also schedule my meetings with young entrepreneurs to discuss their ideas and future plans. 7:30PM I am home most days by this time, but some days I schedule meetings for people who couldn’t fit in the normal work day. Overall, the students are, once again, the most rewarding part of my job. There is no better feeling than when a student learns, and has that "a-ha" moment. 7:30PM – 11:00PM Most days I am out and about taking care of my many personal projects that keep me occupied. The nights that I am home, it’s all about hanging out with the kids and then the adventure of getting them into bed. Once peace descends upon the house, I can sit and work into the wee hours of the morning. For professionals who wish to become future educators, my advice to them would be to do it if you truly have a passion for teaching; teaching takes a lot of patience and dedication. It’s hard to create a balance between the students’ learning and their life. I look at it as an opportunity to plant a seed of knowledge, with the hope that it grows and flourishes. There is no greater satisfaction for me than that.
