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Prof. Jalees Ahmed Khan Tareen (J.A.K. Tareen) currently serves as the Vice-Chancellor of Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India. Prof. J. A. K. Tareen was born (1947) in Mysore, Karnataka, India. He was the recipient of the Padma Shri award 2009 for the Literature & Education, one of the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India and given by the Government of India. He was the member of University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi from 2006-2009. He is known for strong academic administration, and occupied different levels of academic positions, Lecturer, Professor, Professor and Head, Director, and Vice-Chancellor (Kashmir University, currently at Pondicherry University).

Education
Prof. J.A.K. Tareen started his early education in a "Goverment Urdu School" by the care of grand parents, since he lost his father even before entering to the school. Prof. Tareen has obtained his M.Sc from Mysore University (1967) in Geology, Ph.D from Mysore University (1977) in Experimental Mineralogy and D.Sc from Bordeaux University, France (1987) in Solid State Chemistry.

Professional Career
Prof. Tareen served the University of Mysore for 33 years (1967- 2000) at Department of Geology as a Lecturer, Professor, Professor and Head, and finally as a Director of Mineralogical Institute. He has established the first High Pressure-Temperature Laboratory in 1976 with indigenously designed 4 kilo bar hydrothermal reactors, 10 kilo bar Gas bomb and 40 kilo bar Piston Cylinder reaching up to 1100° C. His contribution in phase equilibrium studies has gone into American books as standard diagrams. He had published widely cited high-quality 60 research papers and two books, namely “A Basic Course in Crystallography”, “Fundamentals of Crystal Chemistry”. He also guided 8 doctoral candidates to their doctoral degree. He worked as Visiting Scientist/Professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology-Japan, Bordeaux University-France, Edinburgh University-UK and Mekele University-Ethiopia.

Vice Chancellor of Kashmir University
In 2001, he was invited to be the Vice-Chancellor of University of Kashmir by honorable ex-chief minister of Kashmir, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, where he had the challenging mission of reestablishing the academic atmosphere. University of Kashmir, the only university for six million Kashmiri’s, was also one of the severely affected academia and literally closed its doors to the outside world. He overcame this challenge in a very short span of time and the University emerged as an ‘A’ grade University by his dynamic leadership. He put his efforts to bring desired results for the benefit of academicians and also proved as a courageous and talented administrator. He successfully reopened the gates of the Kashmir University to the world of academics across the country.

CEO of South Asia Foundation
He has also served as CEO of South Asia Foundation (Sept 2004 – Dec 2006) where he actively involved himself in various welfare measures for the society. He has been instrumental in popularizing pre-primary education in rural areas.

Member of University Grand Commission (UGC)
As member of University Grants Commission (UGC) July 2006- July 2009, he served as an effective participant and signal contributor to all policies and programs of the UGC, particularly as Chairman of Standing Committee on Minorities.

Currently at Pondicherry University as Vice-Chancellor
Prof. J.A.K Tareen is Currently serving as Vice-Chancellor in Pondicherry University, a Central University (April 2007 – till date). In a short span of four years, the University has taken a new shape with 15-20 new innovative Master's Programs and 2 Post-Graduate Centers at Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Karaikal. Recently, he has launched twenty-two post graduate Diploma programs and 9 foreign language courses at evening times so that the students concurrently opt them along with the main degree programs. With 153 teaching programmes, 14 schools and 40 departments, Pondicherry University has emerged as the fastest expanding central University in the country in terms of student strength(1400 to 4500), faculty strength(180 to 360), infrastructure (the built-in space doubled), laboratory facilities, library, hostel accommodation, sports and student support system. During his period, the welfare measures include free Transport, subsidized food in hostels, free hostels to girls, free education and hostels to all physically challenged students, free bicycles in the campus, free use of sophisticated instruments, and free online journal access to 23,000 journals.

Literature
Prof. Tareen has published his memoirs of Kashmir as a book, named the “Fire under the Snowflakes-The return of Kashmir University”. The Book, a narrative of the inside story of University Administration espouses interest in the very title on two account: 1. The book is the first of its kind narrating about a University’s revival in the strife torn part of Indian administered part of Kashmir and 2. The book is written by the author, before his retirement, which many would dare to venture. The book gives a vivid picture of the real-time, first experience of a Scientist turned Vice-Chancellor Jalees A K Tareen and his journey from Mysore to Kashmir as an outsider and his efforts to revive the academic standard of the University. The narration in the form of 200 odd page book certainly makes the reader raise his/her eyebrows about the sorry state of Indian Universities, factionalism, trade unions with vested interests, splinter groups and related much not known dimension of University system. He reportedly has made inroads in demystifying many traditions that advocate gender inequity, social exclusion and fragmentation. The book demonstrates and testifies that "Education is the mother of all remedies for social, political and economical re-engineering. The author also wins the attention of the reader with his spine chilling recount of his encounters with threats, pseudo terrorist threats that he had deliberately not conveyed even to his spouse! The Gandhian saying of “A Single man can make a difference”, seemingly has been translated into action by the author, when he proudly claims his redemption of Kashmir University.

Awards and Honors


Taking into consideration of his contribution as a scientist and to the cause of quality higher education in the country, in different capacities, as Professor, as Vice-Chancellor of three Universities and a Member of the University Grants Commission, the Government of India, recently, has awarded the 'PADMA SHRI' in 2009 to him. Apart from Padma Shri, he has also received many other notable awards like National Mineral Award, Golden Jubilee Science & Technology Award of Mysore University, Mineralogical Society Gold Medal and For the Sake of Honour award of Rotary club.

Social activities
Professor Tareen, besides being an acclaimed researcher and a professor, has a humane face which is visible through his social activities. He is the founder of Muslim Educational society in Mysore in 1974 which has now grown into a pioneer Institution for the disadvantaged sections of the community. Besides several nursery schools, it has two high Schools, three primary schools, craft Institute and a first grade college which are serving the poorer sections of the society. At Kashmir University, he launched a scheme to popularize pre-primary education, which trains and supports educated girls to be entrepreneurs in education by establishing their own schools. Over 40 schools have been started in Kashmir.

Other Traits
He is an artist (painter), researcher, social worker and with an Architect in him, a designer of University campuses and buildings, an innovator and an author besides being a successful, diplomatic and result-oriented performing leader.