Recently I briefly visited Pakistan, one reason being to deliver a keynote address at the Global Forum on Islamic Economics in February—sponsored by the University of Management and Technology in Lahore—on “Economic Thought of Early Islamic Scholars and Impact on Western Scholarship.”
During the visit, on February 25, 2018, some friends arranged a memorable luncheon rendezvous with several Pakistani Cougars (and a couple of Vandals). There was nostalgic sharing of wonderful memories from their Palouse days.
Washington State University has had long-standing academic links with Pakistan that began in the 1950s when, under the leadership of President C. Clement French, WSU established an Inter-College Exchange Program (funded by USAID), and numerous students from the then-College of Agriculture (now University of Agriculture, Faisalabad) attended WSU. The program ended in the late 1960s. However, the legacy continues and numerous scholars from Pakistan continue to come to WSU for higher education and postdoctoral training.
Standing, left to right: Tahir Zahoor (’08–’10 Postdoc.), Rashid Ahmed (’94 PhD Civ. Eng., University of Idaho with courses at WSU), M. Yaqoob Malik (’62 MS Animal Nutrition), Farid
Ahsanuddin (’67 Civ. Eng.), Qadir B. Mehr (’67 Civ. Eng.), M. Ejaz Rasool (’72 PhD Botany), A. Rauf Butt (’82 PhD Econ.), M. Ghulam Sarwar (’94 PhD Forestry, UI).
Sitting, left to right: Jameel Qureshi, S.M. Ghazanfar (’62, ’64 MS, ’68 PhD Econ., Alumni Achievement Award, 2007; Hall of Honors, 2007), Manzoor Ahmed (’61 MS, ’68 PhD Ani. Sci., Alumni Achievement Award, 2007; Hall of Honors, 2007), Giselle Mourlon Butt (‘65–‘66 Fulbright Fellow at WSU), Zahoor Ahmed (’71 PhD Entom.)
After 55 years on the Palouse, the Ghazanfars migrated to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2013, for family reasons. An economics professor at the University of Idaho until 2008, S.M. Ghazanfar continues to be engaged in his passions: occasional guest-lecturing at the neighboring university, professional writing, and interfaith and human rights activities. He still considers the Palouse home.