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1. Tell us more about your role & responsibilities at your college.
I have just completed my masters coursework in Advanced Control and Systems Engineering from the University of Sheffield. During my time at the University, I was selected to be the student member of the senate learning and teaching committee. I was also an academic representative for my course at my department.
So besides my intensive coursework, I was interacting with my fellow students thereby representing the academic concerns and feedback as appropriately as possible at the student staff committees at the department level twice a semester.
At the same time, trying to understand and add inputs from student perspectives to university learning and teaching policies working closely with the student union education officer twice in the academic year. In addition to it I took up a part time role of technical researcher working with electrical department to help me with my finances. I was in this role for about 6 months.
2. What have been some of your biggest challenges and learnings from what you do?
The kind of modifications and changes to policy that we hope we can drive from a single stake holder's perspective is actually hard and practically unviable although it sounds reasonable. Compromises are bound to be in place more often than not.
I understood and learnt a lot in this area by acknowledging the needs of different elements when it comes to a process or policy design. Even in the research roles, how work is managed in challenging situations like current pandemic were interesting perspectives.
I learnt a lot on MPC from a practical research perspective - thanks to a great team. Such aspects were taken for granted or virtually non existent looking at MPC from within a theoretical framework in my course. I didn't face any challenges I can recollect besides occasional issues with time management.
3. How do your parent's look at you participating in extracurricular activities?
I don't think there is any specific perspectives on me indulging in curricular or extra curricular activities from my parents. They're supportive of everything I do and trust me to manage things I guess.
4. Do you enjoy the kind of influence you hold at such a young age?
I don't think I hold any influence on a personal note over anyone or anything but my own life and my own decisions. I'm so far happy with the way things have turned out and for the mistakes I made that have brought me till here. I'm just grateful for everything.
5. What are your career goals and how is what you are doing going to help you with that?
At the moment there is nothing specific but i intend to learn the tricks of the trade in control engineering from the industry experts, become a good if not better engineer at that. I just go with the flow but someday I do hope to work in higher educational systems and related policies in whatever way I can. So I guess these memories will remain to guide the process to some extent.
6. Do you have a message for parents to allow their kids to do things besides academics?
I know that every parent knows what's best from an altruistic point of view for any child and each one's style of parenting is unique. So there can't be one dingle message nor do I think I can share one. Attitudes of children are and will be different with generations, I trust on families to stand together with one another no matter what.
7. What's your message to encourage students to do internships and attend conferences?
Nothing much, don't listen or give advice just do what you think you need to don't worry, everything will be okay(which is ironically an advice so...).
Interview by - Benil Joseph
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