A man from India has spoken about his love for Northern Ireland and his plans to put the region on the map for food innovation.
Azhar is a food technologist who came to Belfast in 2016, after deciding to do his international MBA at Queen's University.
He said he has been blown away by the generosity and support of people in the city, and said his ambition is to make the food system here on par with the biggest countries in the world.
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For International Migrants Day on December 18, two organisations have come together to highlight the value that people coming to live and work in Northern Ireland bring socially, economically and culturally.
Migrant Help – a charity that supports people seeking asylum and survivors of trafficking and modern slavery around the UK, and the Northern Ireland-based Ethnic Minority Employees and Entrepreneurs network (EMEEN) both believe society is immeasurably enriched by people from other countries who come to Northern Ireland, whether that is by choice or because they are fleeing unimaginable violence at home.
Opening up on living in Belfast, Azhar said: "One thing I really appreciate about life over here is that people are very approachable if you want any help. Whether or not they say “yes”, you always feel that you can approach them.
"Networking is part of life and you feel a part of life in the city. You can collaborate rather than compete.
"To be frank, I had never really considered coming to a place called Northern Ireland but I was won over by the brilliant levels of support, particularly when it comes to entrepreneurship.
"I’ve always thought that when I come to another country I don’t want to just repeat my own culture, from India, again. You need to be proud of who you are, and where you come from, but at the same time you need to fit in with the place you have come to, and learn how the system here works."
Azhar has big ambitions for putting Northern Ireland on the map when it comes to food innovation.
"My company formulates plant-based products. At the moment we are looking at shrimps and scallops made from seaweeds, and developing a new plant-based milk. We are also working on cultivated meat, and mycelium meet, as well as extracting alternative proteins," he explained.
"My ambition is to make the food system over here on a par with the biggest countries in the world. I want to have a Food Innovation Centre in Belfast, collaborating with amazing companies across the globe.
"I think it’s my responsibility to give back to this country, as the system really supported me in the initial stages. I’ve had many offers to leave Northern Ireland, but I am adamant I want to stay."
Orla Gardiner, Regional Manager, Migrant Help Victims of Slavery Support Service, NI said: "Our service in Belfast currently supports over 350 men with the majority seeking sanctuary hailing from countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea and the Middle East.
"We never cease to be amazed and humbled by the resilience of these men. What they have faced and overcome in their often very young lives is remarkable. They arrive physically with so little but really have so much to offer our society in terms of values, talents and skills."
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