PENANG, 5 Aug 2013 - It is not easy to be away from one’s family to study overseas at a young age. Normally, the longest duration to pursue a Bachelor's degree, Master's and a PhD is about 10 years. But for Hamoon Khelghat-Doost, better known as Hamoon, 13 years of travelling and living in Penang, Malaysia, is a pleasant and unforgettable experience.

Hamoon, 33, came to Penang in October 2001, and signed up for the Intensive Malay Language Course at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and this was followed by doing a Bachelor in the English Language and Literature Studies (ELLS) at the School of Humanities in 2003.

An Irianian from Tehran, Hamoon was offered to pursue a Ph.D. in Political Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, with a full scholarship and he will register with the NUS there today.

“I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity given by the USM which had offered me an opportunity to further my education and also given the opportunity to serve and work in the university,” he said. Hamoon had worked as a Research Officer at the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS) and at the Corporate Division which is now known as the Institutional Development Division (BPI).

“Hamoon is very dedicated in his duties and is not a clock watcher. He can be reached even at 2.00 a.m. if there were urgent tasks to be done,” recalled Muthusamy Moganeswary who was his colleague at BPI and now working at the Division of Student Affairs and Development (BHEPP) as a Senior Assistant Registrar.

When asked about what will be missed of Penang after departing for Singapore, he replied that it was the courtesy and hospitality of Penangites, in particular the USM community will be remembered. He was also very grateful to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Dr. Omar Osman, who offered much help and advice when he was the BHEPP Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Hamoon who also graduated with a Master of Communication at USM, said that the university education system encouraged a diversity of subjects and selection of major and minor to help students broaden their field of study. It enabled him to study in different fields from the undergraduate level, Master till the Ph.D.

While on campus, Hamoon was very active in extra-curricular activities and was selected for Sustainable Living with Environment Risk Leadership Programme at the Yokohama National University, Japan, and the Asian Regional Centre of Expertise Youth Leaders on Education for Sustainable Development Programme in Sendai, Japan. Besides he was also selected to present papers in the field of sustainability within and outside the country, including Brazil.

In concluding the conversation, Hamoon said that after graduating from NUS, he intended to continue serving in Malaysia rather than Iran because he felt that Malaysia is his first home. - Text: Nor Rafizah Md Zain/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa/Translation: Yong Check Yoon