Pakistani student to get Queen’s Young Leaders Award

LONDON: A bright young Pakistani student will get Her Majesty The Queen’s Young Leaders Award for his work to support the use of technology to create solutions to health problems.

Award winner Syed Faizan Hussain, aged 23, has been recognised by The Queen for his work to support the use of technology to create solutions to health problems in his community. Faizan, a social entrepreneur, has developed a number of startups, including Edu-Aid, which translates sign language into spoken language, and OneHealth, a disease surveillance and tracking system which notifies health institutions about epidemic outbreaks.

Faizan also works as a voluntary teacher and has mentored more than 200 students from underprivileged households and equipped them with computer programming skills. He is now planning to develop Venture Dart, a tech consultant and outsourcing company for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

At the Buckingham Palace ceremony, he will be representing Pakistan as he joins winners from across the Commonwealth in the UK for a programme of inspiring meetings, networking opportunities and bespoke training and mentoring, all designed to help them to develop as leaders and work with ever greater impact to transform people’s lives.

In a statement Syed Faizan Hussain said: “I am delighted to  have received this Award and look forward to expanding my leadership skills and engaging with people from various fields who will be sharing their ideas and experiences.”

Before receiving their Queen’s Young Leaders Award at Buckingham Palace, the winners will visit 10 Downing Street, as well as take part in master-classes at the BBC World Service and the UK headquarters of global social media company Facebook. They will also meet the Commonwealth secretary-general, take part in workshops at the University of Cambridge, meet senior executives from some of the UK’s leading organisations and visit projects that are changing the lives of vulnerable people in the UK.

Dr Astrid Bonfield CBE, Chief Executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust said: “The Queen’s Young Leaders of 2017 are doing truly remarkable work within their communities. Their actions are having a positive impact not only on those around them but also by setting in motion positive change that will last for generations to come. The residential programme is an opportunity for the 2017 Queen’s Young Leaders to come together for the first time, to foster partnerships and share ideas about how they can work together as a group to improve people’s lives all over the Commonwealth. We are delighted that these young people are being recognised for their life-changing work by Her Majesty The Queen and we hope that their time in the UK will inspire and enable them to pursue their work for others on an ever greater scale.”