It can be said that humility and simplicity are the hallmarks of a distinctive artisan. Such a statement rings true for a son of the soil who has excelled in academia by successfully completing his doctorate in Engineering Design at Cambridge University.
Pt. Dr. Umesh Persad, son of Paramacharyaji Pt. Hardeo Persad (Spiritual Head of SWAHA) and Shrimati Bhanmatie Persad, has always been one to aspire towards excellence. From his childhood days at the Don Miguel Hindu School and later at St. George’s College, the young scholar excelled in the academic arena. Having earned a Further Additional Scholarship for tertiary level study, he went on to achieve his first degree in Mechanical Engineering at UWI with First Class Honours. Subsequently, he was accepted at the prestigious Cambridge University where he pursued a Ph.D. in the field of Engineering Design (Inclusive Design and Healthcare Design). His research looked into the design of everyday products and services to include older and disabled people.
At present, Pt. Umesh holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Design and Manufacturing department at The UTT, and an adjunct position in the department of Health Sciences and Biomedical Engineering. He founded the Design and Interaction Research Group which focuses on researching innovative products for healthcare and wellbeing, biomedical visualization/communication, and electronic musical instruments. Together with his academic collaborator Prof. Krishna Athre, he has supervised student projects at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level leading to The UTT’s first two Industrial Design patents.
At 33 years of age, Pt. Umesh is married and the father of two girls, Vaishnavi and Vindheshwari. His wife, Aarti, is a lecturer at The UTT Centre for Education Programmes, in the area of Applied Linguistics. He is also a practicing Pundit, propagating the traditions and philosophy of Hinduism handed down in a family of priests. As the Spiritual Leader of the SWAHA Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali in Aranjuez, he oversees cultural, educational, sporting and religious programmes. He firmly believes that the temple is critically important for the individual development of young Hindus, as he himself has benefited tremendously from being in such an environment since childhood. In addition, Pt. Umesh is also the Director of SWAHA Publications where he is responsible for the team that develops various print and multimedia educational materials.
Punditji is also a versatile vocalist and composer. He attributes his musical impetus at a young age to both his parents who are devotional singers. Over time, he learnt from distinguished musicians including Shri Mungal Patasar, Shri Rana Mohip, Pt Vishwanath, Ustad Aftab Ahmed Khan and Dr. Ruby Mallik. He enjoys blurring musical boundaries through the combination of different genres of music while simultaneously exploring religious, philosophical and social themes. Punditji has arranged music for two of his father’s albums ‘Bhakti Ras – Bhaju Raghubar Shyaam’ and ‘Bhakti Ras – Prem Ki Nadiya Jeevan Naiyaa’. Also, in collaboration with members of the Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali, Pt. Umesh composed and released the popular ‘Hindu Logo Jaago’ on the occasion of Indian Arrival 2011.
Pt. Umesh credits his successes to his parents, his Guru (the late Shankarcharya Pt Hari Prasad) and all of his teachers. They gave him a solid foundation, and most importantly, they taught him how to think and keep an open mind. Pt. Umesh is quick to point out that of all his successes, he considers his own family to be his greatest achievement. The value of family cannot be underestimated.
What are the important factors for success? Pt. Umesh believes that your attitudes determine the success or failure in achieving your goals. These include the ability to see constraints as opportunities and to learn from your failures; the ability to be humble and to ask naive questions; and the ability to set your own standards and cultivate a strong will to live up to them. Though achieving the final goal is satisfying, it is in the struggle to get there that the real lessons are learnt. It is important to always remember that nothing worth achieving comes easy.
With respect to students and learning, Pt. Umesh has the following advice to give. Study for the joy of learning and develop the spirit of inquiry. Do not let your main focus be only on how much money you can make. No matter what you achieve, always remain with the attitude of a student and never stop learning. At the end of the day, your own fulfilment and peace of mind is the most important thing. Have the utmost love and reverence for your Guru and your parents and everything else will take care of itself.
SWAHA takes great pride in congratulating this outstanding son of the soil; one who reflects right vision and one who is the epitome of will, knowledge and action. As he continues to walk the road ahead, SWAHA extends best wishes for continued success.
