HYPIA at One: HYPIA Annual Report 2017

by Usman W. Chohan

Hyperpolytism is a remarkable aspect of the human experience, and a potent testament to human potential. It warrants both greater attention and admiration from a wider audience, and HYPIA remains committed to that objective. Its necessity becomes even more evident when contrasted with the rising disdain for diversity that appears to be infecting a greater swathe of the world’s population as part of a broader contempt for the trends that accompany contemporary life, particularly those associated with the umbrella concept of globalisation.
Cultural and linguistic pluralism thus finds itself in a state of greater precarity than was anticipated at the time of HYPIA’s founding. This only serves to bolster its resolve to seek out the champions of multilingualism as embodied in the hyperpolyglot. If anything, the diversity of the organization itself is a testament to the human will to excel irrespective of nationality, race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, social station, or geography.
“HYPIA at one” is thus a moment of deliberate reflection for the outwardly-oriented and curious minds that are already incorporated into its fold. In all likelihood, HYPIA will continue to grow at a brisk pace, not just because there are many more hyperpolyglots in the world than one would prima facie suspect, but more importantly, because there are many more who are on their way to becoming hyperpolyglots, as a result of many highly motivated and persistent individuals delving into linguistic experiences and enquiry. In sum, HYPIA has much to celebrate at its very first birthday.

Unknown Binding

Published August 1, 2017

About the author

Dr. Usman W. Chohan is an international economist and academic who was one of the founding Directors of CASS, now serving as Advisor to President CASS on Economic Affairs & National Development. He is among the Top 100 Authors across all subjects & disciplines (out of 1.2 million authors) on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), which is the largest open repository of knowledge in the world. At CASS, he has authored six books in the past five years, all published with Routledge (see below). In the academic realm, his research has been cited widely, and Dr. Chohan has testified before various authorities based on his technical expertise. He has been published in prestigious journals such as Policy & Society, The International Journal of Public Administration, and Parliamentary Affairs.

Dr. Chohan has a PhD in economics from UNSW Australia, where his doctoral work led to the world’s first multidisciplinary synthesis of independent legislative fiscal institutions, and an MBA from McGill University (Canada), with coursework at MIT-Tsinghua. His previous practitioner experience includes working at the National Bank of Canada and the World Bank. Dr. Chohan has been a speaker at major national conferences such as GSTAR and the Margalla Dialogue. He is also the President of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots (HYPIA), the leading organization worldwide for hyperpolyglotism and whose membership consists of the speakers of six or more languages. He appears frequently on domestic and international television, podcasts, and lecture series in various languages. He is also trained in South Asian musicology and plays the sitar. In addition, Dr. Chohan has maintained an annual reading challenge of 100 books every year since 2011.

List of Books at CASS

1. Public Value & Budgeting: International Perspectives

2. Reimagining Public Managers: Delivering Public Value

3. Public Value and the Digital Economy,

4. Pandemics and Public Value Management,

5. Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets (co-edited)

6. Public Value and the Post-Pandemic Society

7. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): Multidisciplinary Perspectives (edited),

8. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Innovation and Vulnerability in the Digital Economy (co-edited).