Profiles of 2004 Graduating Students

Ali Akhtar has embraced Cornell's diverse world

By Franklin Crawford

Ali Akhtar's passion for languages and cultural studies inspired him to leap from computer science to Near Eastern studies in his sophomore year.

Senior Ali Akhtar is a Near Eastern studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Frank DiMeo/University Photography

"I enjoyed engineering, but it did not offer the academic options to explore cultures and languages to the extent I wanted," Akhtar said. "But I am glad I have that background. I feel like too many students in liberal arts miss out on the math and science background you get as an engineer, while on the other hand, too many engineers never get to savor the liberal arts."

The switch was a bold move for Akhtar, whose parents both graduated with engineering degrees and, he said, "weren't thrilled" about his choice. There was sibling rivalry, as well: Akhtar is the youngest of four. His older brothers and sisters had pursued degrees and careers in computer science, medicine and law.

But Akhtar's insatiable love of language and culture is as much a family affair as is the study of engineering: His father speaks Urdu; his mother Arabic.

Known for his sonorous voice, he has served as the unofficial muezzin for Iftaar banquets on campus and was a member of Last Call, an award-winning Cornell a capella group. Akhtar was invited to co-host a Persian New Year event, sing various songs in Greek at a Turkish cultural event and co-host the recent Interactive Malay Wedding Dinner, which received a "Best Cultural Event" award from Cornell's dean of students office.

He also co-directed the Madrasa al-Rumman Children's Chorus during "Islam and Muslims Revealed: A Night of Culture," an event that received honorable mention for the university's Perkins Prize for Interracial Understanding and Harmony in April. He's also a member of Lubrasa, the Brazilian student association, as well as other Cornell student groups representing Asia, Europe and South America. A natural polyglot, he's even learned some Portuguese, Malay, Persian, Hindi and a smattering of Icelandic.

Not surprisingly, Akhtar received a "Most International" award at the International Living Center where he lives. Not bad for a kid from New Jersey.

Akhtar cites a course on the Arab-Israeli conflict taught by Ross Brann, the Milton R. Konvitz Professor of Judeo-Islamic Studies, as pivotal to helping him develop critical thinking skills. He also praised Shawkat Toorawa, assistant professor of Near Eastern studies. "He really played an important role in my decision to pursue teaching as a career."

Akhtar will attend New York University in the fall to pursue studies in Arabic and Spanish literature from medieval Spain.