Professor Syed Ali Akbar was born in Hyderabad on 16th October, 1890. He was educated at Madrasa-i-Aliya and after that he completed his Intermediate from the Wilson College, Bombay in 1910. Then he was given Nizam’s Government scholarship for further studies and went to England. In 1915 he completed his M.A. in Economics and Political Science from the Cambridge University. After his return from abroad he started his career in 1920 in the Education Department and was posted at Gulbarga as the Superintendent.

In 1923 he returned to Hyderabad and worked in the Education Department. Prof. Ali Akbar also served as the Asst. Professor of History in the Nizam College from 1917 to 1920. From 1943 to 1945 he was appointed as the principal of the Nizam College. From 1945 to 1947 Professor Ali Akbar served as the Director of Public Instruction.

After his retirement he was the first Principal of the Evening College which was also the first evening college in India (1949-53). Later he was appointed as the first Principal of Anwar-ul-U loom College for 14 years from 1953 to 1967. Prof. Syed Au Akbar attended the Imperial Educational Conference in 1927. Author of several books viz., the German School System (1932), Education under Asaf Jab the Seventh (1935), Education and Democracy (1945). He was the Chairman of Idara—e—Adbiat—e-Urdu for nearly 21 years from 1962 to 1983. Prof. Syed Au Akbar was a legendary figure in the educational life of Hyderabad for over six decades. He died on 17th April,