Meet Kashmiri who is today is a Senior Scientist at Silicon Austria Labs, working on 5g-based communication circuits in collaboration with Intel Austria and Infineon. His life journey is a revelation of how a man’s deep quest for learning can lead him to a rich, successful, and prosperous life.
Dr. Mudasir Bashir was born in August 1990 in Bumhama village in Kupwara district. He did primary schooling at Al-Fayaz Public School, Drugmulla and then moved to Iqra Public School, Kupwara. After matriculation, he studied at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Kupwara, and pursued the non-medical stream.
Dr. Mudasir recalls that bright boys were often expected to study medicine in order to be a doctor. With strong interest in mathematics and physics, he managed to dodge the pressure of not choosing the medical stream. During the uprising in 2008, his passion towards electronics engineering motivated his parents to send him outside Kashmir for higher studies. Dr Mudasir opted for Electronics and Communication Engineering.
In 2014, Dr Mudasir did Masters in Technology from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra. Thereafter, he joined National Institute of Technology at Warangal as a PhD research scholar. His research area for PhD was Analog/Mixed Signal IC design.
In 2018, even before he had finished his doctoral degree, he got five post-doctorate offers from Germany, Denmark, Turkey, Austria and Italy. Dr Mudasir earned the distinction of being the youngest to finish PhD in this domain at NIT Warangal, and also in the shortest time.
After completing his post-doctorate in Austria, Dr Mudasir joined as a Scientist at Silicon Austria Labs, where he worked in close collaboration with Intel and Infineon Technologies, Austria. He has been involved in concept development and implementation of IC chips for 5G applications. Recently, he joined as a Staff Specialist DAE at Infineon Technologies.
An Exemplary Student
* Gold medalist for bachelor’s degree
* Qualified GATE exam in third year of engineering, qualified it twice more in a row
* In final year of engineering, was offered a job at Wipro. His interest in elect
ronics and the hunger to learn more made him quit his job and pursue a Masters degree. He felt concerned about financial requirements. Fortunately, GOI had started providing monthly scholarships to GATE-qualified students. Later, he was able to get institutional scholarship during his PhD, which enabled him to reach for greater heights.
Aim For The Stars
Dr Mudasir flags the importance of studying in a reputed institution. He believes that NIT Warangal had a huge impact on his career. The resources, the platform and the environment there drove him to seek excellence.
Dr Mudasir was able to work on four projects in cooperation with government research organizations like DRDO and RCI India. He was part of the team that developed novel electronic chips. He was also part of the team that contributed towards the first electronic chip made under the Make in India program at IISC (Indian institute of Space Science and Technology), Bangalore.
During his PhD, he designed circuits for glucose/gas/temperature, sensors and their read-out interfaces. When asked about the experience abroad, Dr Mudasir says, “I got the opportunity to learn from the best in my field. To interact, collaborate and work with them on daily biases has been a dream beyond imagination,” he says.
Dr Mudasir has published his work in many highly reputed International journals. He recently served as Chief Editor in an international journal, and has been Reviewer for many international journals and conferences. Dr Mudasir has a YouTube Channel where he assists students and researchers across the globe in their design studies. He also delivers guest lectures on advanced topics of electronics in different institutes in India.
The Role of His Parents
Dr Mudasir says his mother Saleema Begum and father Mr Bashir Ahmad Mir sacrificed much for him and his dreams. “I cannot express my gratitude for them. It makes me break down. May Allah bless them and raise them on the Day of Judgment, the way they did for me.”
Dr Mudasir recalls how his father delayed his surgery so that he would be able to pay his son’s fee. His mother used to raise cattle to add to the family income by selling milk. “She used to send me clothes with some money stitched inside them, when my father used to visit me in college. I would find out the money later. Their love kept me going through tough times. I also recall with gratitude the role played by one of my mentors, Mr Irshad Ahmad Peer. His support and motivation during my school days at Iqra/Elite School Kupwara had a huge impact on me. He never charged me for tuitions. I want to convey my deep gratitude to him for teaching me mathematics and science, and making me believe in myself.”
His Dream for Kashmir
“I dream to open a company or a research institute in his homeland where we will design electronics chips for applications like 5G/6G. I am not sure whether I shall be able to fulfill my dream. But yes, I am training myself for it, and gathering experiences that shall help me achieve my dream. Let’s see, In-Sha-Allah!”
The Hunger to Excel
“I didn’t have a godfather who would guide me. Perhaps it helped me. There was no benchmark for me, so I kept going ahead on my path. If one wants to fulfill his dreams, there is no other way than hard work, dedication and honesty. There is no free lunch! You will be faced with many hardships, but the hunger within you will make you reach the end of the tunnel.”
Believe in Yourself
Always believe in yourself. Always dream big. If you are honest to your dreams, you will find a lot of people around you who will support you. You will naturally be led to ways where you are guided and helped. Your parents are your biggest strength. Always acknowledge their role in front of them whenever you get the opportunity. There is no point in rushing for degrees that don’t carry value. Take a break of a year or two, and try to secure admission in a top institution. You can’t run away from competitive exams. You have to crack them someday. Better do it soon. Believe in yourself. Be honest to your dream. Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.
