Yaqeen Sikander
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Yaqeen Sikander is a polymath. Born and raised in Kashmir, India, he is a Psychotherapist, Counselling Psychologist, International Author, Youth Activist, Life-Coach, Public Speaker, Business Consultant & an Entrepreneur. He published his first book The True Purpose of Life at the age of 17, making him one of the world’s youngest published Authors. He also wrote Beyond the World on Near Death Experiences. His latest work, Living in a Surviving World, a daily self-help book on Spirituality is going through publication process. He is also working on his debut novel currently.
He is the Co-Founder & CEO at Alexander & Paul LLP, a consultancy that provides programs on career development, soft-skills and employability. He is also the Founder & Chairman of Inspire ME Foundation, a non-profit organisation registered in India that works for Youth Empowerment and dialogue among the youth. Inspire ME Foundation also runs a few schools that provide free education in addition to Peace & Sustainable Development among youth.
Yaqeen is also a Peace Activist and runs a project, CAMPEACE, where youth can discuss about peace & inter-faith in an open space. He is a fellow at ACWAY (A Common Word Among the Youth) and also at Stanford AMENDS program where he promotes world peace and inter-faith dialogue. He is an excellent story-teller & motivator. He has traveled extensively across 30 countries to deliver workshops or to speak at various events, forums and conferences.
EDUCATION
Masters in Guidance & Psychological Counselling, September
2017 – June 2020
Marmara University, Istanbul
I wrote my dissertation about the Syrian Refugee Children in Istanbul with
regards to their Happiness, Resilience and Post-traumatic Growth.
CGPA – 3.31
Erasmus Exchange Student, April 2019 – July 2019
WWU, Munster
I wrote a major part of my Masters Thesis, “An Analysis of Happiness & Resilience levels among the Syrian refugee children studying in Istanbul” at WWU, Munster at the Department of Psychology as an Erasmus exchange student.
Bachelors of Human Sciences (Hons) in Psychology, January 2011 – January 2015
International Islamic University Malaysia
At the International Islamic University Malaysia, I majored in Psychology
with a Minor in Islamic Revealed Knowledge. I took courses lile Psychometrics,
Statistics, Personality Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology,
Organisational & Environmental Psychology, Counselling Psychology, etc as
well as other essential courses in Islamic Jurisprudence & Theology.
CGPA – 3.34
Higher Secondary School Certificate, March 2008 – March 2010
S P Higher Secondary School
Stream – Arts
Courses – Psychology, English, Education, Political Science, Islamic
Studies
Grade – Distinction (85.4%)
High School Certificate, 1995 – 2007
New Era Public School
Grade – Distinction (83%)
WORK EXPERIENCE
Alexander & Paul, LLP, June 2018 – Present
CEO & Co-Founder
Alexander & Paul, LLP is a start-up life consultancy that provides excellent Products, Services and Consultation regarding Education, Career Guidance, Personal Development, Soft-Skills, Life-Coaching & Corporate Training in India. We have recently started anda e rapidly expanding our operations and have already done programs in some top Universities of India. As a start-up, we are a positive team of adventurous, creative and open-minded beings that believe in embracing and driving change.
Inspire ME Foundation, March 2015 - Present
Founder & Chair
Inspire ME Foundation is a non-profit organisation registered with the Government of India dedicated to Youth Empowerment, Community Development, Humanitarian Aid, De-radicalization and Peace Education, Inter-faith Dialogue, Social Change, Intellectual Discourse and Spirituality. IMF is the first and only such youth center active in Kashmir. We are actively involved in several projects for youth like Weekend Classes, Scholarships, Reading Groups, Peace Studies, Mental Health Counselling, etc.
Inspire ME Global, January 2016 - Present
Founder & Director
Inspire ME Global is a venture based in Germany. We offer Psychological Counselling & Life-Coaching services to youth, executives and general masses. We have programs that cater to a wide audience aiming to increase productivity, leadership, visioning and other creative skills. Inspire ME Global offers programs across many countries.
Campeace August, 2017 - Present
Founder & Director
Campeace is an innovative project for Youth to go out camping and learn about
Peace. Campeace aims to promote religious toleration and intra/inter-faith
dialogue by bringing together youth from diverse groups, countries, and
religions in an open space and let them share their views about peace, harmony
and a better world while enjoying the nature. Campeace also focuses on
promoting respect to environment and nature.
Unacademy September 2017 - January 2018
Category Expert & Instructor (Psychology)
I was responsible for developing and teaching online courses in Psychology at the India's biggest e-learning platform, Unacademy where I also got the best Instructor Award in 2018.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Community Volunteer
Global Peace Foundation
Mar 2011 – Feb 2015
Volunteer duration: 4 yrs
Cause: Education
Debater
International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC
May 2013 - June 2014
Volunteer duration: 1 month
Cause: Human Rights
Student Volunteer
AIESEC in Malaysia
Apr 2011 – May 2011
Volunteer duration: 2 months
Cause: Environment
CONFERENCES & FELLOWSHIPS
Fellow
Stanford AMENDS
March 2020 - Present
Cause - Refugee Empowerment
Fellow
ACWAY (A Common Word Among the Youth)
June 2017 – Present
Cause - Inter-faith Dialogue & Peace
Development
Keynote Speaker
“Sustainable Peace and Development in a Polarising World: Perspectives and
Contributions from the Commonwealth of Nations”
9 April 2018 – 11 April 2018
Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Speaker/Trainer
Youth in Conflict Areas: Healing and Peace-building through Social
Engagement
20 August 2018 – 28 August 2018
International Institute of Peace and Development Studies (IIPDS), Bangkok,
Thailand
Participant
3rd Mahatir Global Peace School
1 December 2014 – 10 December 2014
Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Participant
Global Peace Leadership Exchange
September 2011
Purajaya, Malaysia.
BOOKS
The True Purpose of Life (2009)
Published this work at the age of 17, a 116 Page Hardbound inspiring book
on the life’s essential purpose.
Translations:
Beyond the World (2010)
A book discussing near death experiences and case studies as done by Dr Raymond Moody. Translated from Urdu to English.
LECTURES
·
Living with a Vision (Video) - MSM Students Congress, Kerala, India - 2012
·
Moral Values of the Qur’an(Audio) - Caset School, Kashmir, India - 2010
·
Serving Humanity (Video) - Ummatic Talk, Keynote Speech Address - IIUM,
Malaysia - 2014
·
Discovering Love (Video) - University of Indonesia, June 2014
·
Kashmir - Past to Present - 3rd Mahatir Global Peace School, UMY,
Yogyakarta, Indonesia - December 2014
·
Living with a Vision (Video) - Psychology & Life 2 Conference, IIUM,
Malaysia - 2015
· Psychology of Terrorism (Video) - Psychology & Life 2 Conference, IIUM, Malaysia - 2015
RESEARCH PAPERS
The effect of purpose of life on happiness mediated by spirituality among the students of International Islamic University Malaysia - Istanbul Conference on Education & Counselling, September 2019. (Paper Presented)
Islamization of
Knowledge - Challenges & Prospects - 1st Conference on Education -
Challenges & Prospects, Islamic University of Science & Technology,
Awantipora, Kashmir, India. September 2013.(Paper Presented)
Understanding Democracy
from an Islamic Perspective - International Conference on Leadership & Social
Change in the Muslim World: Prospects & Challenges, International Islamic
University Malaysia. February 2012. (Paper Accepted Not Presented)
The Best of ME - A workshop on Personal Development, 45-Min Presentation -
Religion in Society Conference 2014, Universidad Nacional Costa Rica Heredia,
Costa Rica. 29-30 April 2014. (Workshop accepted but not conducted).
SHORT STORIES
The Untold Story of Love
(Winner of Rajiv Gandhi Award for Creative Writing - 2008)
Those Two Years (2010)
In the Hands of Fate (2013)
Drop that spilled the Ocean (2017)
ARTICLES/POEMS
I have written more than 30 articles on diverse inspirational, social, psychological, religious issues and human experience for newspapers and magazines. I have also written around 20 poems on love which I later on want to turn in an Anthology. My poem 'Homeless Love' has been translated into Turkish and is included in the book, 'The Two Currents.'
LANGUAGES
English - Native or Bilingual
Proficiency
Urdu - Native or Bilingual
Proficiency
Kashmiri - Native or Bilingual
Proficiency
Hindi - Full Professional
Proficiency
Turkish - Full Professional
Proficiency
Arabic - Limited Working
Proficiency
Bahasa Melayu - Limited Working
Proficiency
German - Limited Working
Proficiency
INTERESTS
Philosophy, Existential Psychotherapy, CBT, Performance Coaching, Psychoanalysis, International Relations, Humanitarian Work, Creative Writing, Religion & Spirituality, Youth & Child Rights, Climate Change, Social Justice, Poetry, Backpacking, Camping, Volunteering and making a difference.