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.