Name: Usama Rehman
Educational Qualifications: B.A (Hons) Psychology, M.A Applied Psychology, Ph.D.
College: Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
Current Position: Academic Counsellor
Where are you working currently?
IGNOU (Jamia Study Centre)
What are your areas of interest within your profession?
Statistics in Psychology, Quantitative Research Methods, Personality, and Applied Social Psychology
Things that you are passionate about concerning the clinical/research/current aspects of your profession:
I am passionate about research and teaching.
What made you choose teaching or mentoring as a profession?
Teaching gives me happiness. For me, it is one profession that can change the lives of many.
According to your experience, what is more important: getting good scores or acquiring knowledge?
Scores don't matter, knowledge matters. You can get knowledge from anyone and anywhere. Documentaries are the best source of understanding in psychology. However, one should read research articles to stay up to date.
3 topics/subjects that you like the most:
Statistics in psychology, Quantitative Research, and Personality
Any 3 topics/subjects that you dislike/ detest the most:
Nothing specific. However, I don't teach clinical psychology.
What are your fields of interest in Research?
Personality, health, and tool construction.
What are your career goals or expectations?
I would like to see myself as a professor cum researcher.
What would you be doing if not for the current profession?
I would be working in the field of psychometrics.
What do you like to do in your leisure time?
Data analysis or wandering..
What change would you like to bring about in the Education sector?
I don't like these common entrance tests based on which a student is allotted a stream. There should be a system wherein we can match personality, aptitude, and interest and then decide which stream should a student choose.
What is your Mantra for success?
Lage Raho. Success will come to you sooner or later.
Who do you idolize and why?
I am influenced by Prof. Ghazi Shahnawaz who also happens to be my research supervisor. The way he is open to criticism in his research deserves applause. Despite being a senior professor he is open to suggestions. He is a gem of a person. Very good at heart, very modest. Someday I want to be like him.
Kindly mention your Publication(s), if any:
I have 16 publications out of which 12 are in journals that are indexed in Scopus and web of sciences. I also have more than 650 citations.
Kindly mention your achievements or awards:
I was awarded the eighth Park Jung-heun Young Scholar Award by the Asian Association of Indigenous and Cultural Psychology.
I have also won the best poster award in NAOP 2016.
And finally, what message would you like to give to today's youth?
Don't just read the theories. Critically evaluate them considering the current context. There is always something missing in almost every theory.
(MedTeacher/HN)
