Abu Dhabi: Education’s Meet Your Professor segement is designed to allow you, the reader, to get to know faculty members at universities across the country. This month we meet Dr Ahmad Mashhadany from the Department of Education at Abu Dhabi University.
Q: What makes you passionate about your subject of study?
A: The specific needs of such a specialty in Iraq, where I am originally from, as well as the general needs of Arab countries, led me to my specialisation.
Q: What is your favourite class to teach and why?
A: Writing research papers and teaching methods because both areas are new to students and they learn a lot.
Q: What is/has been your favourite interaction with a student?
A: Generally speaking, I love to deal with students and I feel it is a pleasure when they learn, especially when they go to the field to practice what they have learned under my supervision.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My family and friends.
Q: What did you want to be when you were five?
A: At that age, I was in the first grade of elementary school. That was in 1956. Everyone wanted to grow up to be a teacher because at that time, teachers had prestige and a higher social status than other professionals in society.
Q: What areas of community service are you involved in?
A: Attending information sessions held by the University outside campus. I also visit private and public schools and attend their events in addition to visiting my students who are getting their training in those schools to prepare them as teachers in the future.
Q: What are your hobbies?
Gardening, table tennis and watching soccer.
Q: What book should everyone read and why?
“History of Education in the Arab World” to know about the gradual improvement of education since its establishment and to see how education was before and how far it has come.
