Philadelphia, United States
I am a chemistry major. For the past few years, I have been part of a bioinorganic research group. I am very interested in lab work, and I’ve found the most fulfillment in college from lab courses and this research group.
I have also become more interested in politics over the last few years. I have noticed a lack of scientific voices in government, and that worries me quite a lot. I have been sharing information on social media, but I would like to become more involved in the intersection between science and politics
Why did you pursue international exchange?
I am interested in learning about communication. In recent years, I’ve noticed an anti-intellectualism culture in the United States. I think it is important for scientists to learn how to explain their research using non-elitist methods and language so that it can be understood by the common person.
I am curious to learn the Egyptian perspective on these issues. I wonder if they have any anti-intellectual, anti-science trends there too, and what ways they have attempted to combat it.
“This course challenged me to think about my own life in a different light. A common theme among presenters and within conversations between myself and other participants was the idea of obstacles being the way forward.
This taught me to reorient my thinking toward solutions, to find what problems bothered me and actually do something to try to fix them.”
Top Ideas Learned
- Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
- The key to finding opportunities and sharing your ideas is being calm and collected in the face of chaos.
