Dr. M. Asir Ajmal

Dean & Professor
PhD Psychology
Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA

Biography

Dr. Muhammad Asir Ajmal is the Dean and Professor of Psychology at GIFT University, Pakistan. He is also serving as Director Languages with the mission to promote cross-cultural literacy and communication among students, faculty, and the community. In addition to Punjabi, Urdu, and English, he speaks Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. He has also studied Russian, Classical Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew languages. He has served as HEC Foreign Professor of Psychology at Government College University, Lahore, and also worked as Director of Psychology Programs at the University of Lahore. 

Dr. Asir Ajmal received his PhD in Psychology from Dartmouth College, an Ivy League University in the United States of America. At Dartmouth College, he founded Al-Nur, Muslim Students Association. During that period he also lived and worked as a volunteer in Nicaragua where he learned Spanish. He did his MSc in psychology from Government College Lahore where he received a gold medal and the roll of honor for distinguished academic performance.

At the turn of the century, Dr. Asir Ajmal moved to Britain where he trained as a clinical psychologist and obtained a statement of equivalence from the Division of Clinical Psychology, British Psychological Society. This allowed him to practice Clinical Psychology in the United Kingdom.

Teaching Interests

  • Indigenous Psychology
  • Muslim Psychology and Sufism
  • Psychology and Language
  • Adult Psychotherapy
  • Cognitive Behavior Therapy
  • Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Research Interests

  • Caste and Social Exclusion
  • Colonialism and distortion of history
  • Sufi Texts and Psychological Interpretation
  • Urdu Dastan and the uses of enchantment
  • Psychology of Tradition and Modernity
  • Indigenous Psychological Research
  • Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology

Selected Publications

  • Nosheen, N., Tarar, A. & Ajmal, M. A. (2021). Exploring the Psychosocial and Political Dimensions of Territoriality. International Review of Social Sciences, 9(5), 191-203
  • Saleem, G. & Ajmal, M. A. (2018). Work Family Balance: Experiences of Successful Professional Women. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 33(1), 101-121
  • Walayat, S. H., Hasan, S. S., & Ajmal, M. A. (2013) Perceptions of Middle Aged Men and Women about Women Killers. Pakistan Journal of Criminology, 5(2), 24.
  • Khawaja, O. A. & Ajmal, M. A. (2012). Perception of Death among Pakistani Undergraduates. Pakistan Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 9(3), 3-8.
  • Suhail, K., Jamil, N., Oyebode, J. & Ajmal, M. A. (2011). Continuing bond in bereaved Pakistani Muslims: Effect of culture and religion. Death Studies, 35:1, 22-41

Papers Published in Conference Proceedings

  • Ajmal, M.A. (2010). Coping with terrorism. Proceedings of the first international conference on Forensic Psychology: issues and interventions, Department of Psychology, GCU, Pakistan. (1), 169-175.
  • Iftikhar, R., & Ajmal, M. A. (2010). Evaluating a cognitive behavioral intervention program with aggressive children. Proceedings of first international Conference on Forensic Psychology: Issues and Interventions, Department of Psychology, GCU, Pakistan. (1), 176 – 186.
  • Ajmal, M. A., Ilyas, R., Perveen, A., &Qurat-ul-ain, (2010). Indigenous humor scale construction. Proceedings of National Conference on Indigenous Psychology . National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan.
  • Ilyas, R., Ahmed, S., Musarat, R. & Ajmal, M. A. (2010). Beliefs about Eclipse. Proceedings of National Conference on Indigenous Psychology . National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan
  • Sarfraz, A., & Ajmal, M. A. (2010). Customer service in Pakistan. Proceedings of National Conference on Indigenous Psychology . National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan.
  • Ahmad, S., & Ajmal, M. A. (2010). Organizational culture, merger and change. Proceedings of National Conference on Indigenous Psychology. National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan.
  • Ijaz, S., & Ajmal, M. A. (2010). Phenomenological study of the experiences of type II diabetics. Proceedings of National Conference on Indigenous Psychology. National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan.
  • Ajmal, M. A. (2009). State of the Art Lecture on Developmental Psychopathology. Conference on Developmental Psychopathology, National Institute of Psychology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

Affiliations

  • American Psychological Association: International Affiliate Member
  • Pakistan Psychological Association: Life Member
  • Society for Advancement of Muslim Psychology: Past President and Executive Member
  • Pakistan Association of Clinical Psychologists – Past President