My name is Tehzeeb ul Hasnain.

I am from Pakistan
and I undertook my Bachelor of Social Sciences
(Hons) with majors in International Relations from
the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science
& Technology (SZABIST), Islamabad. SZABIST is the
first private liberal university of Pakistan,
established by slain prime minister, Benazir Bhutto,
in 1995. Some of the courses that I undertook at my
undergraduate level include Economics, public
policy, psychology, sociology, media studies,
statistical interference, diplomacy, strategic studies,
politics of terrorism, arms control and disarmament,
foreign policy and international relations.
I have a penchant for higher education abroad, so I
started to look for post-graduate studies in Europe.
I came across this incredible degree program of
International Master Security, Intelligence and
Strategic Studies being offered by the Erasmus
Mundus Joint Master Degree.
I have found its content to be extremely attractive
and this is something that I am desirous of studying
for my Masters. What has especially attracted my
attention is the list of wonderful courses being
offered by the program, such as conflict security
and peace building; cyber security; democratizing
security; minority, regionalism and borders; and
national security and European security law. These
courses are quite unique in their formulation and
application in the contemporary era and only a few
universities in the world - and non in Pakistan - are
offering them at the moment.
After graduation, I found employment with the
media sector which further exposed me to the
challenges facing the South Asian region in general
and the Af-Pak region in particular. This working
experience not only groomed me professionally but
also subjected me to the existing challenges,
necessitating innovative solutions and new thinking
which is offered through this MS program. My
immense interest in this program derives from the
fact that these courses are very relevant to a
country like Pakistan which is in a state of conflict.
The subsequent violence has a horrendous impact
on my personality, also because I belong to a
minority sect, Shias, who are victims of both non-
state violent actors as well as the Sunni-dominated
State.
In my last semester, I studied politics of terrorism as
a module which enhanced my understanding of the
issue. It developed in me the interest in studying
asymmetric threats and conflicts. During my
undergraduate, I also wrote an assignment entitled
“Jaishul Adl”, a militant group fighting for Baloch
separatism in Iran’s western region. It was rated as
the best and I got immense appreciation from the
Rector of the University. Similarly, I wrote on the
US’ Fragility Act, the US’ liberal interventionism, and
common fears arising from terrorism and
Coronavirus pandemic. By keeping this academic
profile in my account, I see ‘Asymmetrical warfare
and its impact on the security dynamics of South
Asia in 21st century’ as my dissertation topic.
I hope that this MS program will tremendously help
me in realizing my future goals, which is to pursue
doctoral studies and join academia. The purpose is
to bring this knowledge to the Pakistani students
and teach them about the evolving security
challenges and novel international practices to
counter those in an efficient manner. Moreover,
through academia, I will be in a position to
contribute constructively to society. Similarly,
exposure to Europe will help me to learn from a
very different society regarding cultural diversity
and technological innovation. I will also be able to
contribute significantly to the program through
exchanging my experiences from Pakistan on
various issues, through class discussions, seminars,
and interactions.