AGRA: In an unprecedented move, the AMU has appointed a prominent Shia cleric general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind , as an "adjunct" faculty in Shia theology in the University for a period of one year. He is among 12 faculty members drawn from across the globe who would be teaching AMU students.According to AMU registrar, Prof Javaid Akhtar , though this is the first time when a cleric would teach students, he has been chosen for his expertise in the subject.Kalbe Jawad is a prominent Shia Muslim cleric and scholar from Lucknow. He led anti-government demonstrations in 1997 to lift two-decade old ban on the controversial Azadari processions in Lucknow and he was arrested twice during the movement. Jawad is also famous for holding the biggest ever anti-US-Israel-Denmark rally at Lucknow which was attended by over one million people.Recently, at a national level body of Shia clerics meeting, he had given statement advising Shia clerics and organisations to stay out of the controversy on triple talaq, as it's an issue concerning the Sunni community.A senior professor in AMU said that the aim of Adjunct faculty is to attract distinguished individuals who have excelled in any field of specialisation to enrich the overall learning processes by bringing external perspectives to regular teaching.Others in the faculty include, Dr Madad Ali (USA), who has been appointed at the Department of Surgery, Prof Sangeeta Bagga-Gupta (Sweden), who has been assigned to teach at the Department of Education, Dr Todd R Sandrin (Arizona State University, USA), who would teach at the Department of Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Prof Ivan Coste-Maniris (France) has been appointed to teach at the Department of Business Administration and Prof Sultana Nurun Nahar has been assigned to teach at the Department of Physics.Distinguished scholars from India such as Dr Peri Bhaskararao, (Hyderabad) will teach at the Department of Linguistics; Professor S K Singh (Former Vice Chancellor, HNB Garhwal Central University Srinagar, Uttrakhand) has been assigned to teach at the Department of Physics, Dr Azizuddin Khan (Mumbai) will teach at the Department of Psychology, Prof S Alim H Naqvi has been appointed to teach at the Department of Applied Physics, Dr Manju Gupta (Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi) has been appointed to teach at the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Dr Jaideep Malhotra (Agra) will teach at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

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