Mahbubul Hoque, a visionary edupreneur and institution builder, hailing from a remote village of Assam, single-handedly created a revolution in the educational ecosystem and is trying to make North East India an education hub of the country as well as a preferred destination for the teaching-learning community across the globe. Presently, his institutions provide the best education at par with top-rung institutions nationwide. From a very humble beginning, he rose to eminence by dint of sheer hard work and dogged determination. His never-say-die attitude towards life and his free and indomitable spirit is the biggest strength behind his remarkable success as an educational icon.
In the realm of visionary leaders, one name shines brightly – Mahbubul Hoque, an edupreneur with a mission to develop rural India through institution building. He stands as the founder of a series of educational institutions, including the biggest and NAAC A grade university of the northeast– “University of Science and Technology Meghalaya”. His belief in the potential of rural communities to uplift the nation has led him to establish all his educational ventures in remote areas, where 90 percent of his students come from rural villages.
He believes that the right vision, honesty, and hard work are the only way to succeed, and therefore in spite of extreme financial constraints, he started his entrepreneurial journey with just one computer, four students, and Rs 85 in his pocket in 2001, rejecting lucrative job offers to him. He assembled computers and sold them in the market to generate revenue for the promotion of a computer lab for the trainers.
His first venture was a Study Centre namely “Central IT College” which he started in the year 2001 in a rental house to offer tuition to four IGNOU students. It was just the beginning. In 2005 it became the second-largest largest study-centre of the Manipal Group in the whole country. He continued his struggle in the field of education and succeeded in achieving milestones one after another traversing several impediments to set up the institutions in Assam and then Meghalaya.
To expand further with entrepreneurial zeal he set up a trust namely the Education Research and Development Foundation (ERDF) Guwahati in 2005 incorporating some of his colleagues as members. In a span of twenty-two years, Mahbubul Hoque has achieved remarkable feats. As the founder Chairman of ERDF, he has established a range of pioneering educational institutions, offering education from KG to PG to Ph.D. These include two CBSE-affiliated Senior Secondary Schools, one AICTE-approved Engineering College, two PCI-approved Pharmacy Colleges, one BCI-approved Law School, one AICTE-approved Business School, and one NCTE-approved B. Ed. College, one Women’s College, and his most emerging project—the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya.
Mahbubul’s journey took a significant turn when he approached the Government of Meghalaya to establish a university. Recognizing his passionate entrepreneurial spirit, the Meghalaya Government agreed, leading to the birth of the first private university in the North East region in 2011 which started with only six students but has since flourished, currently boasting an impressive enrolment of over 6,000 students across 22 departments and 60 courses. It holds the distinction of being the largest private university in the North East region with a diverse student population where 57% are girl students. He is striving to make USTM an A++ institution by 2026 and one of the most preferred destinations for the global teaching-learning community by 2030.
What sets the USTM apart is its commitment to providing free education to 20% of its students from underprivileged backgrounds. Moreover, over a thousand students across all of his institutions receive either free or concessional education. Notably, 70% of the university’s teaching staff are women, serving as an inspiring model of women empowerment.
Born on 1st December 1973, in a remote village nestled in Assam’s Karimganj district, Mahbubul Hoque faced life’s challenges with unwavering dedication and sacrifice. Tragedy struck Mahbubul at a young age as he lost his parents during his school days and later on his supporting brother during his university studies. Despite these adversities, he persevered and sustained his education even by selling vegetables in the village market and doing tuition classes. His brilliance led him to secure admission to Aligarh Muslim University based on merit and came out successfully. However, he chose to return to his native state armed with knowledge and an old computer in hand, with the true aim of bringing about rural transformation through the promotion of education and helping others succeed in life.
Within ten years of its establishment in 2011, USTM earned the accreditation rating of “A Grade” by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in 2021. It also gained recognition as one of the top 200 universities in India according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2022 and 2023 consecutively. Research and development combined with outreach is one of his main focuses. To achieve success in these domains he has collaborated and signed MoUs with more than 350 organizations including IITs, NITs, top Central and State Universities like JNU, research institutions, Corporate and Industrial ventures and renowned NGOs to create platforms for students, scholars, and faculty to excel.
USTM’s popularity stems from its dedication to delivering high-quality education, outstanding infrastructure, and a unique approach to motivating students. With 36 communities represented, USTM exemplifies unity in diversity. Under the patronage of Mr. Hoque, each department adopts nearby villages for their holistic development, fostering solidarity and awareness for various welfare initiatives. Mr. Hoque launched “USTM Neighbourhood Mission” to provide higher education to all the neighboring students by offering either completely free or concessional education in order to ensure that not a single student of the neighborhood of USTM Campus is deprived of higher education.
Mr. Hoque is an awe-inspiring figure in the field of educational entrepreneurship, as he keeps setting unique trends for others to imitate. His innovations are often ground-breaking, unconventional and first of its kind. He is the first educational reformist from the entire region to provide a distinguished platform to all the graduates of the North East Region to voice their concerns and opinions freely by organizing a mega-event called the North East Graduate Congress in his USTM campus. Currently, this event has attained the status of an annual feature where more than ten thousand graduates join for 3 days event from all across the region.
Mahbubul recognizes the significance of empowering women and has made it a prime agenda. Khairun Nessa Begum Women’s College was established in 2005 in a rural area of Karimganj in his native district to provide underprivileged girls with an opportunity to pursue higher education. Now, it is on the verge of becoming a women’s university for which a proposal is under process with the state of Assam—a distinction never before achieved by a private institution in India.
Due to his remarkable PR potential and networking skills, he successfully convinced two Former Presidents of India to visit USTM. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam visited USTM and addressed the North East College Principal’s Conclave in 2014 and Shri Ramnath Kovind addressed the National Conference of Vice Chancellors in 2023. Prominent personalities like Nobel Laureate Shri Kailash Satyarthi, IISc Bangalore Director Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director BARC Dr. B. S. Tomar, ISRO Chairman Dr. AS Kiran Kumar, two former UGC Chairman Prof. Ved Prakash & Prof. DP Singh, UGC Bangladesh Chairman Prof. Abdul Mannan, former UPSC Chairman Prof. DP Agarwal, many Directors of IITs and NITs besides more than 650 Vice Chancellors, 2000 renowned academicians and scientists, several Governors and Chief Ministers.
His exceptional outreach efforts and dedication to philanthropy are remarkable. Due to his fervent missionary zeal and persistent dedication to establishing institutions, he found himself unable to focus on constructing his own home, leading him to reside in a modest rented house for nearly 18 years.
Among the many remarkable initiatives championed by Mahbubul Hoque is the creation of the ‘I Can I Will Academy.’ This unique establishment serves as a residential academy, meticulously designed to cultivate the abilities of differently-abled individuals. Here, they are equipped with essential job skills that align with their unique strengths. Moreover, the academy extends its reach to those who excel in the realms of sports and culture, tailoring its curriculum to accommodate their demanding schedules.
Additionally, the year 2023 has witnessed the establishment of the IA Ayurvedic Medical College (IAMC) and the University Hospital of Ayurveda and Naturopathy. Unlike other private hospitals, Mr Hoque’s medical institutions shall be dedicated to the services of people from all across the region and with special care for the people belonging to the underprivileged sections of society. All sincere effort is going on to set up PA Sangma International Medical College and Hospital by the year 2025 with a vision to change the healthcare landscape of the northeast region and to attract people from neighboring countries to fulfill the aspirations envisioned in the Act East Policy of the Govt of India.
With firm determination, USTM prepares to leave an indelible mark on both the national and global stage. Mahbubul’s Vision 2025 roadmap propels the university towards its ambitious goal of becoming one of India’s premier institutions and by 2030 his university must get the touch of becoming a Peoples University with global raking. Aligning with the Act East Policy, it focuses on students from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asian nations. Mahbubul envisions his educational empire as an instrument of societal upliftment.
As an educationist with a vision, Mr. Hoque’s outstanding contributions to the advancement of education in the northeastern region have garnered widespread recognition and admiration. He was honored with the prestigious “Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service – 2022” by the Governor of Meghalaya on 26th August 2022, Shikshacharya Award by Asam Sahitya Sabha, the Visionary Edupreneur 2017 Award by Rethink India, the Educlusion Award at Re-engineering India Summit-2014 in Singapore, and the Edupreneur Award 2013 by Engineers Watch and many such awards from various prestigious organization in the recent past.
Mr Hoque’s dedication to his mission goes beyond awards and recognition. He firmly believes in the transformative power of quality education in rural areas. Consequently, all of his educational institutions are strategically located in rural regions, reflecting his unwavering resolve to empower and uplift rural India through education. His vision has impacted countless lives, earning him respect and admiration from all corners of society.
He has a missionary zeal to contribute to the nation-building process, following Gandhian principles and being inspired by the lives and dedication of Pandit Nehru, Dr Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. For him, religion does not only speak about particular faith or worship, rather it teaches brotherhood, peace, understanding, and tolerance which glorifies more beauty in a diverse society.
Courtesy: India Today magazine, November 6, 2023 issue
