I want to serve Pakistan in positive ways

“I read an interview with Dr. A.Q. Khan, a national hero in Pakistan, but a notorious individual in Holland. Dr. Khan stole nuclear power secrets from Holland and in 1997 was involved with the nuclear tests Pakistan performed. Khan did his MSc and PhD degrees in Delft, and he said that Delft provided a good education. At that time, I didn’t want to do my MSc. degree in Pakistan and wanted to go abroad. After I read that article I chose Delft.”

Lodhi’s Dutch colleagues sometimes remind him of his infamous predecessor, Dr. Khan. “They wonder if I’m following Khan’s footsteps. But don’t worry, my colleges aren’t suspicious; they’re only joking. Besides, my research is about material science.” Lodhi began his TU MSc degree in 1999, specializing in ‘Stress relaxation of carbon manganese steels’, and graduated last year. He’s now working as a two-year researcher at the TU’s department of Technical Material Sciences, where he solves problems that companies encounter with their products. Compared to Pakistan, material science in Delft covers more fields. “Now I’m working on the hard anodising of Aluminium alloys, used for aeroplane parts, while in Pakistan my study was mostly related to metals and metallurgy.”

Lodhi found the TU MSc program well-suited to his bachelor degree. “I was not at a disadvantage, because in Pakistan we get a good theoretical education. In Delft too, but for me the experimenting part is very good here. I learn a lot of practical things. In Pakistan, however, most equipment is old. But in Delft, I’m able to work with modern equipment.”

When Lodhi arrived here in 1999, he wasn’t intending to stay in Holland. “But I did have and still have the intention to get my PhD degree. I will apply for a PhD job after finishing my two-year research here. After graduating, most Dutch students leave the university for jobs with companies and in industry. They go for the higher salaries. Four years of research doesn’t give them a lot of promotion compared to colleagues in industry. But for us foreigners, it’s different. It’s an option to move higher, and I’ll go for that.”

Lodhi isn’t sure where he’ll do his PhD or what the subject of his research will be: “There are several fields of material sciences that I’m interested in. And there’s a high demand in the world for these researchers, because behind every innovation there’s a significant role for materials science, and this will never stop.”

Lodhi hopes to return to Pakistan within ten years. “My roots are there and I feel my country has some claim on me. I want to serve Pakistan in positive ways, but not nuclear,” he says, laughing. “Besides, I found it hard to get a job here. It’s easy when you’re a member of the EU or when you speak Dutch fluently. I must admit, though, I could’ve spoken Dutch by now, but I didn’t take Dutchlessons. I still speak my own form of Dutch.”

Zeeshan Farooq Lodhi followed in the footsteps of a notorious Pakistani hero and chose Delft for his MSc degree

“I choose Delft as the place to do my MSc degree for ‘obscene’ reasons,” says Zeeshan Farooq Lodhi, from Pakistan. “I read an interview with Dr. A.Q. Khan, a national hero in Pakistan, but a notorious individual in Holland. Dr. Khan stole nuclear power secrets from Holland and in 1997 was involved with the nuclear tests Pakistan performed. Khan did his MSc and PhD degrees in Delft, and he said that Delft provided a good education. At that time, I didn’t want to do my MSc. degree in Pakistan and wanted to go abroad. After I read that article I chose Delft.”

Lodhi’s Dutch colleagues sometimes remind him of his infamous predecessor, Dr. Khan. “They wonder if I’m following Khan’s footsteps. But don’t worry, my colleges aren’t suspicious; they’re only joking. Besides, my research is about material science.” Lodhi began his TU MSc degree in 1999, specializing in ‘Stress relaxation of carbon manganese steels’, and graduated last year. He’s now working as a two-year researcher at the TU’s department of Technical Material Sciences, where he solves problems that companies encounter with their products. Compared to Pakistan, material science in Delft covers more fields. “Now I’m working on the hard anodising of Aluminium alloys, used for aeroplane parts, while in Pakistan my study was mostly related to metals and metallurgy.”

Lodhi found the TU MSc program well-suited to his bachelor degree. “I was not at a disadvantage, because in Pakistan we get a good theoretical education. In Delft too, but for me the experimenting part is very good here. I learn a lot of practical things. In Pakistan, however, most equipment is old. But in Delft, I’m able to work with modern equipment.”

When Lodhi arrived here in 1999, he wasn’t intending to stay in Holland. “But I did have and still have the intention to get my PhD degree. I will apply for a PhD job after finishing my two-year research here. After graduating, most Dutch students leave the university for jobs with companies and in industry. They go for the higher salaries. Four years of research doesn’t give them a lot of promotion compared to colleagues in industry. But for us foreigners, it’s different. It’s an option to move higher, and I’ll go for that.”

Lodhi isn’t sure where he’ll do his PhD or what the subject of his research will be: “There are several fields of material sciences that I’m interested in. And there’s a high demand in the world for these researchers, because behind every innovation there’s a significant role for materials science, and this will never stop.”

Lodhi hopes to return to Pakistan within ten years. “My roots are there and I feel my country has some claim on me. I want to serve Pakistan in positive ways, but not nuclear,” he says, laughing. “Besides, I found it hard to get a job here. It’s easy when you’re a member of the EU or when you speak Dutch fluently. I must admit, though, I could’ve spoken Dutch by now, but I didn’t take Dutchlessons. I still speak my own form of Dutch.”