Mabrook!

I am genuinely happy for Martin and his team at Gulf Centre for University Education, the IGNOU Study Centre in Kuwait. They just won the inaugural Gold Medal given to the best overseas IGNOU Partner Institutions, beating the other 54 in different countries hands down. The evaluation procedure was quite comprehensive. This is a just recognition for the selfless service done by Martin especially, and his team over the past decade and a half.

The beginning was modest. They faced many problems on the way. Lack of support from the Kuwaiti sponsor, apathy of students, economic downturn pre 2003 in Kuwait, non availability of good faculty, cash flow problems - the list is endless. But through all these, they stuck to their task and when the turnaround came in 2002, it was a big relief in more ways than one.

Kuwait centre is by far the best organized IGNOU study centre in Middle East (I can vouch for only middle east as I dont know about those in other countries. But IGNOU avers that they are the best amongst ALL overseas study centres in Asia and Africa). I have personal knowledge of the amount of organization that goes into running the centre that has nearly 500 students of both IGNOU and MKU. Having been an NIIT franchisee for 6 years in India, I know the amount of headache one gets while running an education service centre. One can never sleep in peace. That is the bane of services industry. People do not notice the efficiency when things are running smoothly. They take it for granted. But it needs a hell of a lot of effort to make things work seamlessly. Though not many know it, Martin is considered to be the one point knowledge centre for all the other Study Centres in Middle East. They turn to him for advice and leadership.

It is my privilege to have been associated with the Study Center since 2001. The Center has done yeoman service to the expat Indian Community over the years. For the saying goes that "Vidya Dhanam Sarva Dhanal Pradhanam'. The Centre has made many richer in more ways than one, both culturally, monetarily and in many other ways.

I have the honour of having known Martin personally for 8 years and no one deserves the award better than him, for his service orientation, problem solving skills and inter personal skills are excellent. And it is no easy task handling my dear students (they in turn will tell me that it is no easy task to handle ME) , and I can tell this with conviction. Lack of hair in my head and the fact that I am taking 2 BP tablets a day is testimony to it :)

Martin has always been quite supportive of all my hare brained schemes aimed at 'improving' my MBA students. Whenever I despair at the lack of response and about to put a full stop to all co-curricular activities, he will gently point out that I should concentrate only on those who are interested and benefitting of all these events and not to worry about those who dont. Also, he has never interfered in my strict evaluations of any Internal Assignments, though many times he has a difference of opinion to mine. I respect him for that.

Here is wishing Martin and his team many more years of glorious service to the Indians in Kuwait.