Tributes to Arif Naveed

Full tributes to Arif Naveed who died at the weekend

It is so easy to forget that, in this ocean of obsessive self-advancement and ever-more intense individualism, what truly strikes a chord, truly nourishes us, is often the company and example of people like Arif, people who do not epitomise the dominant idea of "success" society wants to sell us. People like that remind us that the ocean is not infinite; there are islands, shores, mountains. There is so much more to life.
Peter Sutoris

“Arif Naveed’s mission as a sociologist and economist of education was to achieve social justice for marginalised groups, especially those in poor communities. His internationally valued contribution was to design theoretical and methodological frameworks to analyse intergenerational, gendered social mobility in low-middle income countries like Pakistan. He brought to Cambridge his wide experience of framing educational reforms tackling the multi-dimensionality of poverty, unequal regional distributions of aid, and discrimination in school textbooks against religious communities. As a Gates Scholar, his doctoral research added an understanding of the ‘hexagonal rural social structure’, a novel statistical method for analysing educational and economic mobility, and an innovative Habitus Listening Guide used to hear the polyphonic voices of the poor.

Whilst at Cambridge, he enjoyed being the Gates Cambridge Alumni Officer, a member of Gates and Jesus College communities, the mentoring of younger graduates and supporting old people by living in an intergenerational housing scheme in Cambridge. He was exceptionally popular because of his humanity, his kind patience with others’ views, and his spiritual courage in coping with severe illness over many years. I was his MPhil and then doctoral supervisor, and over the last 15 years, Arif became a wonderful colleague, co-author and friend. He will be remembered for the quality of his friendships and his deep commitment to improving lives through education.”

Emerita Professor Madeleine Arnot, Jesus College Cambridge

“Arif was an exceptional PhD student and scholar, a supportive colleague, and someone who was not afraid to tackle difficult topics with an open mind and intellectual curiosity. He was always keen to debate others and respectful of their views. He enthusiastically sought out those from different disciplines, and his PhD was a truly ambitious interdisciplinary undertaking, seeking to bridge the notorious gap between economics and sociology as it applied to thinking about social mobility.

He challenged the idea that Western-origin concepts of social mobility could be transposed to the Pakistan context. He improved our understanding of the role of education in reproducing social, economic and intersectional inequalities of various kinds, and illuminated its complex relation with caste and faith. Arif will be long remembered for his significant intellectual contribution but above all, I will miss his kindness, passion for life and willingness to educate so many of us with a gentle voice and beaming smile.”

Professor Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust

“The outpouring of grief, sadness, love, reflection, hope and determination in the wake of Arif Naveed’s death is simultaneously heart-warming and heart-wrenching. In death, as in life, Arif keeps bringing out the best in us, our gentle yet powerful humanity, as we wrestle with a messy and often painful world.

Let’s maybe slow down (as Arif liked to do) and reflect on what is going on here. Arif achieved much in his life, more than most of us ever will, but achievement wasn’t the point of life for him, and it isn’t why we’re so devastated by this loss, I think. We are celebrating a human being who was dear to us not because he founded a profitable business, amassed wealth, rose to positions of political or financial power, not even because he won large research grants or published a ton of papers in ‘prestigious’ journals – but in many ways because of the opposite, because his individual, personal achievement was secondary. Secondary to the values he did his best to live by every day. Secondary to the wellbeing of those around him. Secondary to the agenda he came to believe, through a lifetime of gentle learning in a harsh world, was what mattered. This agenda included generously mentoring others, being truly present, listening with open ears, and being attuned to the suffering of others, alongside a commitment to rigour, hard work, unwavering attention and rock-solid follow-through.

The reason we celebrate Arif and feel so much pain, I think, lies in his modus operandi, in the way he moved through the world. The way he spoke of and acted on the most polarising of subjects in ways that, almost miraculously, didn’t anger people on either side of the issue. The way he made others feel – valued and respected, irrespective of arbitrary hierarchies and social norms (showing us over and over that social norms are, in fact, often antisocial).

It is worth remembering that these are things we miss, things that help us re-connect with our own humanity. It is so easy to forget that, in this ocean of obsessive self-advancement and ever-more intense individualism, what truly strikes a chord, truly nourishes us, is often the company and example of people like Arif, people who do not epitomise the dominant idea of “success” society wants to sell us. People like that remind us that the ocean is not infinite; there are islands, shores, mountains. There is so much more to life.

As long as we don’t forget that, Arif will keep on living in us.”

Gates Cambridge Scholar Peter Sutoris [2015]

“Arif was, simply put, the best man I knew. People often say things like that about people after they pass, but in Arif’s case, I used to say that long before he was even ill. He was so kind and gentle yet so gritty and determined at the same time. Above all, he was a deeply dignified man. He was my first friend in the Gates community, and I remember the first time I met him at orientation at Ambleside: after a long morning of high octane conversations, I was a bit socially worn out. Looking for a place to sit for lunch, I saw a man who radiated peace and warmth. I went and sat by him, and we became fast friends. For years we would drink green tea from Kashmir in his kitchen almost every evening, chatting late into the night about poverty, inequality, and the Global South. Arif was deeply committed to his work — which he saw as a spiritual calling. The world has lost a brilliant scholar and an even better human being. Such a loss is devastating beyond words, but our only solace is that we, his friends, can honour his memory by staying committed to the issues he cared deepest about.”

Gates Cambridge Scholar Bhasi Nair [2014]

“Arif Naveed was a great friend and mentor. I first met him in London in 2014 when he began his PhD as a Gates Cambridge Scholar at Cambridge. He was a kind and humble person, and his journey from a rural area in South Punjab (one of Pakistan’s poorest regions) to Cambridge deeply inspired me.

Since then, I stayed in touch with him and benefited from his friendship and wisdom. Arif was not only a brilliant scholar but also a person of remarkable resilience and humility. He showed extraordinary bravery and mental strength in the face of cancer, continuing to produce academic research and support others despite his fragile health. He also served as a member of Pakistan’s National Taskforce on Human Resource Development, chaired by Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary.

I was personally a beneficiary of his kindness. I learned about the Gates Cambridge scholarship and applied for it because of Arif’s encouragement. Despite his health challenges, he was always available to guide me through the process. At one point, he lost his voice but would still send me text messages to check on me and offer guidance as I progressed.

I visited him last month in Bath. All treatments had failed, and he seemed exhausted. Yet, despite the toll on his health, he welcomed us with his characteristic warmth and smile.

Arif’s legacy will live on, inspiring many through his contributions and his spirit. He will be deeply missed. May he rest in peace.”