Responding to the call and understanding of the formidable challenges that may have to be faced in the future, Prof. K.A. Siddique Hassan, (a social worker, change-maker and orator from Kerala who worked as a Professor in University College Thiruvananthapuram and Maharaja's College, Ernakulam), shared the idea of establishing an educational cluster to facilitate the upliftment of minority community with likeminded people including philanthropists, educationalist, and social engineers.
In pursuance of this, a series of meetings were convened and it was resolved that a charitable trust namely Social Advancement Foundation of India (SAFI) should be set up for the purpose of creating the leaders in different fields and promoting higher education and research in emerging areas of science, technology and humanities.
The pioneers of trust include the founder chairman Prof. K.A. Jaleel (Former Vice Chancellor, University of Calicut and Chairman, Kerala State Wakf Board), the founder secretary Dr. K.V. Ahamed Bavappa, (a prominent agronomist and a former official of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations), the founder treasurer Dr. P. Mohamed Ali popularly known as GALFAR Mohamed Ali (recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award). Founder Vice Chairman Dr. N.A. Karim, (former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Kerala), Prof. K.M. Bahaudin, (Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and the Executive Director of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi). Joint Secretary Mr. C.H. Abdul Raheem, (chartered accountant by profession and Executive Director at KIMS Healthcare Management), and K.V. Mohamed Zakir as Member. 617 benefactors contributed monetary support for the procurement of 100+ acres of land to set up an institute of Advanced Study as a conglomeration of schools specialization in Frontier areas of Research.