Athabasca University (AU), Alberta, June 3, 2024
AU will grant an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree to distinguished alum and philanthropist Esmail Bharwani (Bachelor of Administration ’92). The honorary Doctor of Laws degree recognizes exceptional public service and is among the highest honours that AU bestows.
Bharwani’s contributions to post-secondary education in Alberta will last for generations. Trough the Esmail Safana Farzana Fayaz Bharwani Foundation, he and his family have supported endowments that help countless students to improve their lives through education—in the same way he did.
As a young man in Tanzania, Bharwani took whatever jobs he could to support his parents and siblings while he saved what he could for his own education. He saved enough to pursue an accounting designation in England but nearly had to leave the program until his instructor helped him to get a job that allowed him to finish his education. That experience inspired a lifelong drive to help others.
“As I met more students in Tanzania, Kenya, England, Scotland, and Canada, I noticed a great appetite from others who sought education but who were held back because of lack of money,” he said. “Learning from my own example of achievements, I quickly realized that to improve the quality of life of people, they needed to be educated and not all are fortunate enough to have the necessary resources.”
Source: Athabasca University
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