University of Limerick student becomes first person from small village in Pakistan to earn a PhD

Muhammad Muddasar, originally from a small rural village in the Jhang District in Pakistan, is one of 1,705 new graduates to be conferred at UL.  Picture: Arthur Ellis

Inspired by the energy crisis blighting his country and community, a University of Limerick student has become the first person from a small rural village in Pakistan to earn a PhD.

Muhammad Muddasar became the pride of his hometown in the Jhang District in Pakistan as he was among the 1,705 graduates conferred at UL earlier this week.

Growing up in his village, the 28-year-old's daily family life was disrupted by regular power outages, which led Muhammad to want to find solutions to energy-related problems at an early age.

“When I was 12 years old, there were regular power outages which lasted most of the day. It was insane, some days we would only have three hours of light in the whole day,” Muhammad said.  

“When there was a power shortage, we had to find other ways to do things, for water we used hand pumps, for cooking we used natural gas but when there’s no way to use electricity, you can't meet the needs of a family in three hours.

“The constant need for petrol to run generators was not only costly but also unsustainable. The need for sustainable and affordable energy solutions became clear to me,” Muhammad said.  

Alternative energy solutions

He witnessed firsthand how members of his community were forced to create alternative energy solutions. One example was local farmers using wells to convert manure into gas, which they then used to power their generators.

This led Muhammad to become the first in his family to go to university after accepting a place at the University of Lahore to do a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2015.

Shortly after, his father relocated his whole family to Lahore to support him.

“My role model was my father, he taught me to work hard, keep learning, and make a positive difference,” Muhammad said.  

After graduating at the top of his class, he worked in the engineering industry. In 2021, he completed a fully funded MSc in Energy Systems Engineering in Lahore and applied for his PhD at UL.

Now Muhammad has made history as he became the first ever person from his village to earn a doctorate after graduating with a Doctorate in Sustainable Materials on Wednesday.

He said he is hopeful for a brighter future for his family in Pakistan.

With Muhammad’s nieces and nephews now going to school in Lahore, he says he can see the impact of the new government initiatives in renewable energy that are making real changes for people.

Looking ahead, Muhammad hopes to continue building his academic career at UL and has said has applied for funding from the Irish Research Council to take his research to a commercialisation stage.