Work experience in the READ Research group
Dr. Waheed Ahmad Khanday
Postdoctoral Fellow
It is now the seventh month of my work as a Postdoctoral
Fellow in the READ Research group and here I am to share my work experience
with all of you. I will start with a quote “The best bosses aren’t bosses—they
are leaders. ‘Boss’ is a job; ‘Leader’ is a career” and I feel privileged to
work with one quality leader in the person of Prof. Dr. Bassim H. Hameed who never
says “Go!” but always says “Let’s Go!.” One will find him every day in the
laboratory engaging with his group and he always has time to discuss and assist
the students regarding their research problems.
Let me start from the beginning. Despite having numerous
offers, it was quite easy for me to choose Prof. Bassim after getting his nod
considering the kind of work profile he has generated over the last decade. I
was also personally following his research from my Ph.D. days. With my
subsequent interactions with him, I came to know that he is not only a
successful researcher but also a very nice human being. He assisted in guiding
me for my travel all the way from my hometown to the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) campus. My first
personal meeting with Prof. Bassim was quite memorable; he took me to the
laboratory to meet my colleagues and to show the experimental setups and also
he helped me in settling all the documents required for my joining.
As for the laboratory facilities, the READ research group is
equipped with all the necessary equipment required for the kind of research
going on in this group. One good thing is that Prof. Bassim allows all students
in his group to use the available resources to its full potential. Specific
working stations are allotted to each student in an air-conditioned lab. Prof.
Bassim ensures the availability of chemicals, glass wares, and other laboratory
necessities so that no student gets stuck.
All the READ group members are quite hardworking, and I have
never before seen such electrifying work enthusiasm. Each group member is
cooperative, interactive, and eager to work in collaboration. We always discuss
our research problems with the professor and with each other so as to reach a
solution. As a routine, Prof. Bassim delivers lectures to the group members
regarding safety and motivation. He always keeps on encouraging his students
and never allows them to get demoralized at any point of their research.
I feel privileged to work with one of the internationally
recognized researchers in his group, and I would like to thank Prof. Bassim and
the READ group members for their kind support and cooperation. I wish to
continue working with this group in the future.
