The death of Emeritus Professor Asad Mohsin MNZM

The news of the death of Emeritus Professor Asad Mohsin MNZM on 7 March has brought a deep sadness to those of us who had the privilege of knowing him. Asad believed, deeply and sincerely, that people of different faiths, backgrounds, and cultures could find common ground and spent his life helping to make that belief real.

I first met Asad when we were both living in Darwin. It was a place that suited him well: a city defined by the meeting of cultures. In that small city environment, Asad’s natural warmth, generosity of spirit, and quiet determination to bring people together found a natural home.

Many Darwin locals knew Asad from his days of hotel and restaurant management. During this time, he began to shift his focus to a new career in academia. He understood that the heart of tourism is about a meeting of cultures, and through an MBA and a PhD at Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University), and through his studies, broadened our understanding of our neighbouring countries, leading to a reassessment of Australia’s tourism marketing strategy for that northern region.

In academia, Asad built a career that took him through senior roles at Charles Darwin University and later to the University of Waikato in New Zealand. His research, teaching, and personal life were rooted in the fundamental reality of tourism: that the movement of people between countries creates opportunities for cultural understanding.

Those of us who spent time with him saw that his commitment and the energy he devoted to unity were not purely academic. Outside work and study, Asad devoted countless hours to unpaid community work. Across Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, he engaged with ethnic communities, always seeking ways to foster understanding and cooperation. Wherever he lived, he was drawn to the spaces where cultures met and where dialogue was needed.

He acted on his beliefs and consistently demonstrated that communities could be strengthened when people were given the opportunity to listen to one another with respect. This was evident in his many recent and concurrent roles, which included: Professor & Assistant Vice Chancellor of Community Engagement at the University of Waitako, President Waikato Muslim Association, Co-Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand Islamic Think Tank, Trustee of the Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust, Patron of the Waikato Muslim Association Inc., and President of the Waikato Multicultural Council.

He also initiated the first Waikato Multicultural Day, which continues today, and was a key driver in convening the Waikato Community Inclusivity Symposium on the Waikato University campus, a day designed to unite communities and strengthen support for the safety and well-being of ethnic groups.

Today, with division between cultures and religions amplified, unity can feel elusive, making Asad’s legacy more important than ever. Like many others, I will remember him as an inspiring and ever-thoughtful friend. A generous man whose faith was in people. He will be sorely missed.

He leaves behind his most loving and caring wife, Ayesha, his daughter, Sana, his son, Taha, and six grandchildren, to whom I extend deep sympathies.