STANDPOINT by Atique Naqvi

Kurdistan and the Middle East Jigsaw Puzzle Atique Naqvi | Boston Masoud Barzani's term ended in August 2015 but he refuses to step down. Masoud Barzani, the 70-year-old President of Iraqi Kurdistan, is an old man in a hurry. Barzani’s latest tweet about the referendum for Kurdish independence and an eventual breakaway from Iraq will add another chapter to the politically charged yet tragic soap opera in the Middle East theater. Barzani’s tweet last week read: “I am pleased to announce that the date for the independence referendum has been set for Monday, September 25, 2017.” The specific tweet not only took the Baghdad-based federal Iraqi government by an unpleasant surprise, it also sent chills in Ankara, Turkey, and Tehran, Iran. A couple of years back, when I met Barzani in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Summit, he was more than happy to take me through the achievements of semi-autonomous state of Kurdista...

As they say it... at Hult Boston Atique Naqvi | Boston [Disclaimer: This is a fun blog, and should not be taken seriously] Students have their own lingo, and Hult students are no exception. Though 'Lingo' is a restaurant at Hult’s Boston campus, the students have developed their own lingo for everyday usage as witnessed in the past few months. Described in a dictionary as a ‘dialect’ or ‘unique phrases associated with a particular place’, students’ lingo at Hult’s Boston campus provides an interesting insight into the stressful everyday life of students. “You are all set”, most of us have heard this in Boston, time and again. I’ve been told numerous times that ‘you are all set’ in a bank, retail store, restaurants, bars and millions of Dunkin fukin’ Donuts around the city. However at Hult, students use numerous special phrases, and their origin or etymology is mysterious, to say the least. Here is a list, and assumed meanings, of some of the choi...

Entering the future, powered by the past More professionals with years of experience are seeking higher education. Albert Einstein once said the only source of knowledge is experience. And education can help enhance both knowledge and experience. When professionals with more than 10 years of experience choose to enrich their experience and knowledge by enrolling in an academic program, they not only enrich themselves but also augment the learning environment for their younger peers. After working in the news media in India and the Middle East for 16 years, my decision to attend an MBA program in Boston was not easy. To say the least, it’s a calculated risk, and one has to also take into account the opportunity cost of staying away from the professional life for an extended period of time. Words of renowned British author and poet T.S. Eliot are very inspiring for the people who want to do something ‘different’. Eliot says: “Only those who will risk going too far can possi...

Mental Imperialism and Psychological Colonialism in the Digital Age Atique Naqvi | Boston Colonialism and imperialism are almost interchangeable. While the latter is an idea, the former denotes the practice or implementation of the idea. Both concepts are seeing newer manifestations in our more-than-ever connected world in this digital age. Without an iota of doubt, truth is the first casualty in the post-truth world, which accelerates through the misuse of social media channels. Also, the misuse of information is not the biggest concern. Surprisingly, the meaning of information nowadays is perceived almost as an absolute truth, especially if that informer is a powerful person or even a leader. Being on the brink of euphorically nostalgic, I’d say those were the days; when people trusted and believed statesmen and leaders such as India’s MK Gandhi, South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Botswana’s Seretse Khama, United States’ Abraham Lincoln contrary to today’s fragmented ...

Hussain Sajwani says the time for short-term investments is over and it is a good time to buy property not only in Dubai but even globally. "The property sector is still bricks and mortar. You have to build them in a normal way. It is petty because nobody has come up with a way of building a tower in six months. It still has to take three years. But, naturally, property gets affected with the demand and supply and so forth." The interview was published in the March 2016 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

The Young and Disruptive Hult students at one of the workshops during the Day of Disruption. Contrary to the popular perception that the younger generation is only motivated by self-interest, the youngsters studying for both MIB and MBA degrees at Hult International Business School are self-aware and want to make the world a better place to live and work. At the Day of Disruption held at Hult’s campus in Boston, I spoke to different groups of students and was pleasantly surprised that most of them have an extraordinary zeal for social entrepreneurship projects. There were very few who said that they want to go into the market after completing their degree and just make money for themselves. One of the students from Columbia said that his family has seen some really tough days in the past, and he’d first try to change his family’s financial position and then will work toward social causes. He said: “Please don’t get me wrong, I want to do a lot for the society and especia...

Stooping to Conquer By Atique Naqvi | Boston, United States  | February 20, 2017 Narendra Modi is the 14th and current prime minister of India. I have been more or less neutral to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's performance since he became India's leader in mid-2014 However, not any more! Was watching Indian news few hours back, and saw video clips where the Indian prime minister is addressing election rallies ahead of state assembly polls. State leaders are expected to talk highly about their achievements or be extremely critical if they are in the opposition. Election for Indian state assemblies could be quite acerbic where below-the-belt remarks are not an alien concept. *Refer to map at the end of the blog. But the prime minister of a country is not expected to stoop to a level of playing divisive politics, whether or not campaigning for polls. At the end of the day, the prime minister does not represent a party or an ideology, he/she represen...