Mapping out a sustainable future through education being the fundamental, Chairman Dr Mohammad Tariq is on a mission of providing green solutions to the UAE through various enterprises under the Paradigm Pioneers banner
Environmental Solutions and Consultancy (ESC) and British International School (BIS)-Ajman have a common denominator, which is their Chairman’s vision of an eco-friendly environment. “ESC was established in 2005, until then the environment per say was not a core subject. We were based in Hamriyah Free zone at that point, striving to become a reliable and trusted business service provider. We had already successfully established as an Auditors and Civil Contractors. However, in order to setup any industry in the UAE, you are required to have Operational Fitness Certificate that requires Environmental Impact Assessment and Studies. In order to become a single window service provider, we initiated a new company, offering Environmental Services and Solutions. This is one aspect that triggered a demand that needs to be catered towards. Our unique proposition was that we were the only firm offering three contrasting sectors of Financial Services with Auditing & Accounting, Civil Construction and Environmental Services. When we started working in Hamriyah Free zone there were only about 150 companies and now there are about 6,500 companies. So when the number of investors grew, we also grew along with them,” explains Dr Tariq, Chairman, Paradigm Pioneers Group of Companies, about the beginnings of ESC.
Dr Tariq is a multi talented persona with a strong background in academics. He did his Graduation in Electronics Engineering, followed by Masters and PHD in Management. Through his travels to various corners of globe, he identified how the environment was crucial to their respective societies, however there was a lack of emphasis in the Middle East. “We could also see that the energy sector is an area of focus across the globe and there are potential opportunities in energy enhancement and energy efficiency. However there is a dearth of expertise in this sector. Fortunately, we could find right
synergistic partners who are innovative solutions providers in the areas of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Sustainability sectors, etc. So ultimately we assembled a team that hasthe know-how to lead, fully backed up by technical manpower resources deployed on the ground. These alliances helped us in strategically positioning our services in the energy and environmental sectors,” says the Chairman. ESC is a comprehensive solutions provider to industry and government bodies in areas such as
environment, sustainability, health and safety and many more. “Our EHS services focus on efficiency and effectiveness in the applicable areas. We are also able to demonstrate that there are better ways to utilise resources including manpower. Within the construction division we are developing
the first Green building in Hamriyah Free Zone Sharjah, which is one of our flagship projects. In ESC we also have a third party inspection division which is purely technical, they take care of all the
system processes and structure. Our services include capacity building, training and development, research support, etc. With the advent of Expo 2020, which recognises generating sustainable solutions to global problems demands collaboration across cultures, nations and regions will open doors of opportunities, inspiring us to benchmark our services at an international level.
British International School is another endeavor of Dr Tariq aligned with sustainability and education. “Our first opportunity came when we started with Salmiya Model School in Kuwait in 2010. The experience we gained in Kuwait helped us to understand that a pivotal fact that roughly around 12,000 children travel every day from Ajman to Sharjah or Dubai to a British Curriculum school as there were none in Ajman at the time. To cater towards the need of the aspiring
GREEN GARDEN AT BIS AJMAN WHERE STUDENTS HARVEST FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE SCHOOL CAMPUS
children in Ajman/Sharjah for a British Curriculum, we established British International School which today boasts of 51 nationalities,” comments the Chairman. With the motto “Dare to Dream” BIS is recognised as one of the innovative schools within the region. “The main idea is to enable a student to have a broad thinking process through a combination of conventional and creative teaching methods. We want to create a space where a child can flourish and can grow into an intellectual. Our focus is on the soft and life skills, and parents have appreciated our concepts such as the greenhouse initiative where children get a hands-on experience to grow vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc., thus connecting them to nature. What BIS offers is a unique approach to education, where skill imparting, extra curriculum activities are a part and parcel of the learning experience. In terms of curriculum activities, we have tied up with private institutions that are testing for ability and aptitude. Due to the shift from traditional parenting to a broad-minded approach, parents have realised that there are more opportunities in various other fields rather than the conventional ones. Counselling is another part which we are focusing on, and we felt that it is more important and required for parents rather than students. We have a team of teachers and administration staff experienced in some of the regional best practices in education are imparting this experience gained into our current system which is a value addition to both the students and parents. Precisely speaking, even the parents can come and pay a visit to the school at any given point of time and interact with the school council. This has enabled them to form a close relationship with the school management which has made communications much more open,” states Dr Tariq.
“We have also tied up with special needs centres, where we invite children to join us and get inducted into our classrooms. We began this unique approach last year and having seen the positive results, we aim to inculcate such happenings periodically in the future as well. As per our expansion plans, hopefully an American curriculum school in Ajman will commence in September, while the works for Indian curriculum school in Sharjah is also being undertaken. In 2017 we are looking to establish an International Indian School Curriculum in New Delhi. As of now, 5 schools in the next three to five
years is our focus in the education sector. Currently the students’ strength in SIMS Kuwait is 2,000 and British International School- Ajman is around 1,000-plus, which will grow as we expand to accommodate students from grade seven onwards to year thirteen. Another exciti ng part of this expansion will be to take our children for international trips in order to enhance their learning experience and global exposure,” he concludes.
