Choosing to Study Your Passion

“After my internship with the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in the northern areas of Pakistan, I learned that poverty comes in many forms and one way to overcome it is to enable people to help themselves. Along with the team, I conducted entrepreneurial trainings to farmers who grow crops and livestock. This is where my interest in studying agriculture grew and I joined the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad as a student and later as a Lecturer. After completing my M.Sc. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I joined the Ph.D. programme in agricultural economics focusing on consumer behavior and industrial organisations. It is my hope to take the same study back to Pakistan and conduct research in the field. In the context of Pakistan, especially the northern region, the agricultural sector could benefit millions bringing positive economic impact and changing the lives of the poor. I would like to push this idea forward.

My advice to all the AKU-EB students – do not compare yourself to your friend, sibling, peer or any other individual. Chase your dreams and work very hard to bring up the best in whatever you choose to pursue in the future. For example, I was overwhelmed by social pressure on why I chose the field that ‘assumed’ to have no scope in Pakistan and that I should be a doctor, just like my sister, Dr. Asma Ghulab, who is also an AKU-EB alumna. For any adult to be confident and successful in her/ his decisions about higher education, it is very important to feel the support of parents and encouragement of teachers during the early stages of academic life. My parents thought that if there was no scope in studying agriculture, I needed to work hard to create awareness about the importance of agricultural field in Pakistan. They believed in me and I kept my passion flamed. Teachers under the AKU-EB system have challenged us to explore more than one way of learning, pushing us to become independent thinkers and decision makers. So, why to limit our choices to study engineering or medicine…” After completing B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Sabrina was appointed to serve as a Lecturer at the same university. Under Punjab’s Faculty Development Programme, she was the only candidate to be awarded with the full scholarship to pursue her Masters in Agricultural Economics leading to a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA. Sabrina Ghulab Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA - 2018 B.Sc. in Agriculture, University of Agriculture Faisalabad - 2015 AKU-EB Alumni 2010