Issue 2, WRITERS Magazine

Issue 2

magazine

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MEET the TEAM

Mashal Waqar

Junaid Seraj

Editor-in-Chief

Sub-Editor

Bushra Azeem

Raina Zakir

Sub-Editor

Graphic Designer

Vishaal Ganesh

Kristine Bauzon

Joost van der Heijde

Photographer

Marketing Director

Marketing Director

Alyssa Raya Claire

Dr. Rizwan Tahir

Veronika Loessl

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Faculty Advisor

Staff Advisor

Dana Osman

Sub-Editor

FOREWORD It is my pleasure to introduce the 2nd issue of RIT Dubai’s WRITERS magazine. This student-run publication, created by the Marketing Club, is a result of the determination, innovation, and commitment of our students. As an academic institute, one of our key pillars is student engagement and empowerment, which helps contribute to self-determination among students. The magazine you are holding now is the result of that engagement.

As we enter our seventh year here in Dubai, RIT’s vision of being a premier provider of career-focused education in the Middle East and Southeast Asia has not wavered. Built on the tradition of our main campus in New York with over 180 years of history, RIT Dubai continues to provide access to leading faculty, innovative degree programs, extensive resources, and the latest learning technology. RIT Dubai students have and continue to demonstrate their leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills.

In this issue, our writers delve into topics that touch different areas of our lives, not only here in Dubai but around the world. WRITERS features an interview with journalist Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy about the challenges of filmmaking, as well as an in-depth story concerning the pharmaceutical industry. We highlight the current refugee crisis, and the struggles involving the pursuit of perfection. In addition, you will find articles regarding money and technology, local events, RIT Dubai faculty, and more.

I hope you enjoy.

Sincerely, Dr. Yousef Al Assaf RIT Dubai President

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OP-ED Editor-In-Chief Mashal Waqar Sub-Editors Bushra Azeem Dana Osman Junaid Seraj Designer & Illustrator Raina Zakir Photographer Vishaal Ganesh Public Relations & Marketing Kristine Bauzon Staff & Faculty Advisors Dr. Rizwan Tahir Veronika Loessl Contributors Alyssa Raya Joost van der Heijde Special Thanks to Saleh Yammout Tarun Yenna

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With WRITERS’ first issue, we wanted to create an outlet where we could showcase the best of RIT Dubai’s most opinionated voices. We’ve wanted to create a consistent platform, with the same objective in mind, and with the unique voices that have gotten this issue through, the result has been an impressive range of opinions: from corporate corruption, and wanting perfectionism, to bitcoin economy, and the current refugee crisis. A similar trend is visible every time I check my Facebook newsfeed- I read countless opinions- sharp words that cut right through the noise, so drenched in emotions that they give literal chills at times. There’s been such a rapid increase in social media activism, in particular by the millennials. Individuals are continuously speaking out, despite the bias shown in mainstream media, and despite the everyday discrimination, the fact that individuals are beginning to see bias for what it is, and call out on it, is glorious.

It’s incredible to see people not just showing solidarity, but also literally voicing out the injustices, even if they’re on opposite sides of the globe. Every time I check my newsfeed, it’s flooded with the same message, just phrased and re-phrased in different ways, depending on the author. Every time an incident occurs, people on social media unify as an aftermath, even if it’s with something as mere as a hashtag. The strength in numbers clearly exists, and it goes far beyond people living in the same region. What’s wrong is wrong, and people from vastly different regions, ethnicities, and beliefs are not afraid to voice out the injustice that’s in front of them. This opens up chances for dialogue, but, there are the unfortunate instances where the dialogue isn’t a conversation and when it starts hinting at radicalism. Every individual has the right to their perspective of course, but, that individual does not have the right to inflict or enforce that view on anybody else, by any means. Therefore, Stepping away from a conversation that’s not constructive is ultimately pointless, because if both parties continue speaking, what’s the point of wasting time and effort in a conversation where the words bounce off a wall? If the other side is unwilling to understand your point-of- view, then there’s no purpose in trying to explain unnecessarily.

It’s important to think rationally, and to attempt understanding why you think the way you do, and why you have certain opinions. Regardless of what this view is about, which does open up my words to a broad array of interpretations, it is necessary sometimes to step back and understand your opinions and to attempt understanding why others may or may not feel or think the same way.

More often than not, people forget that the reason they feel strongly about something is because they are in some way related to it, or have some connection to it, as meager as that connection might be, it certainly plays a significant role in shaping our opinions. It doesn’t take too long for individuals to pass judgment when they encounter other people who have that connection on the opposite side of their thought spectrum. This is where it gets ugly, and there’s an immediate lash-out at differing opinions, with unnecessary ridicule that quickly converts to blind hatred, unrealistic assumptions, and sometimes even prejudiced conspiracy theories. A particular example of this is the recent hate towards certain individ-

Letters to the editor should be sent to mxw9030@rit.edu. All letters received become the property of WRITERS.

uals for supporting or not supporting certain causes. As important as wanting equality and living in a discrimination-free world is, mourning someone’s death is an entirely different matter. You do not tell people who they should be mourning. You do not have the right to tell any individual about the loss of life they should be mourning about. It is wrong, it is insensitive, and it is downright inhumane.

Show solidarity, and spread awareness about what’s wrong with the world, but, when you start arguing with people about which loss of life matters more, it’s time to re-think the absurdity of the argument. Hypothetical scenario: would you tell your friend to mourn the loss of her friend or relative, just because you knew more people who died in that same time-period? Doesn’t make sense does it? If people are showing support towards a certain incident in masses, let them. Stop pointing fingers at the individuals who are part of theses masses, and perhaps channel your thought-process towards corporations that allow differences in the options that people can show unity through. That does not mean blindly hating on these companies, but it does mean civilly asking questions in a rational way. All corporations have a responsibility towards their customers, and in the case of social-media platforms, towards their users. Therefore, users can and should question the staff from certain platforms that allows for such instances. However, it is important to understand that such questions should be directed towards management in corporations who actually allow for cases of discrimination or differences that violate a standard that is set for everyone. If a certain incident entails an individual response from a big entity, surely there is a reason for it. Similar events should then receive the same answer, should they not?

This is also where you should question the validity of anger, especially if it is directed at who some- one is mourning for. Would you feel as strongly about your case if you had no connection or relation to it whatsoever? Would you be as passionate about something if you didn’t know it was happening, and if what little you’d heard about it was horrifying? No. Individuals who answer yes need a reality check because there are countless horrendous incidents of repeated displays of the worst of humanity, and just because people are unaware of these events does not mean they do not occur.

We’re hypocrites if we actively advocate against discrimination, and yet turn a blind-eye to the types of discrimination we stand up for. We’re hypocrites if we keep reinforcing attention to the bloodshed happening in one part of the world, and then ridicule those who pray for bloodshed going on in another part of the world. We’re hypocrites if we want peace, yet spread our message through war. We’re hypocrites if we wish tranquility, yet use frenzy and modes of hate to explain it. End the hypocrisy, condescendence, and double-standards.

It’s time to think with open-mindedness, to think of rationality, and to think of placing yourself in another individual’s position, without any bias clouding your judgment. Do this with utter honesty and you might be surprised by the level of understanding you end up formulating.

Mashal Waqar, Editor-in-chief

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CONTENT

COVER STORY: The pharmaceutical industry

SECTIONS FOCUS: In conversation with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

The pharmaceutical industry- making drugs or money?

Opinion Inhumane over Humanity?

Paralysis of Perfection

8 12 16 20

What We Recommend House of cards

22

12-15

Tech Crunch

Bitcoin 101 Sha-256(Encrypted Economy)

24 26

Experience Study Abroad

Lifestyle

Ditch your routine with some caffeine

DUBAI EVENTS: Dubai Airshow

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30

Events Dubai Events RIT Events

32 34

Faculty Feature: Dr. Boutheina

37

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34-36

OPINION: Paralysis of Perfection

20-21 FOCUS: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

29 EXPERIENCE: STUDY ABROAD

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FOCUS

In Conversation with SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY Written by Mashal Waqar

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Journalism, at its finest, is quite a difficult task to accomplish. If you add in issues that go unreported, and crimes that have no Samaritans fighting for them, foraying into unchartered territories can be perilous, and yet Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy did exactly that. In the past 15 years, she has made over a dozen multi award winning films in over ten countries around the world, documenting human-rights abuses, and cinematically narrating the stories from marginalized communities that people seldom hear about.

In 2012, she directed Saving Face, a documentary that chronicles the lives of acid-attack victims as they attempt to bring their assailants to justice, and try to move on with their lives. Countless acid-attack incidents go unreported in South Asian countries, and the incidents that are reported follow numerous court hearings and trials, with very few instances of actual justice for the victims. Saving Face gives the audience an eye-opening glimpse of the horrifying realities that such victims suffer. Defying the odds, Sharmeen has made documentaries about marginalized communities that people seldom hear about. In 2016, she won her second Oscar for “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness”, a documentary film about honor killings that result in murders of women because the brothers, fathers or uncles want to protect their family honor and believe they can do so by taking these innocent lives.

Her most recent work, Song of Lahore, follows a group of musicians who had almost given up on their music, reviving the richness of traditional music, this time fusing it with a Western twist. The film narrates the story of the Sachal Studios Ensemble from their homes in Pakistan to their journey to New York City, where they perform at the Lincoln Centre with Wynton Marsalis. The passion and determination of these musicians is uniquely captured, as they risk their safety to inspire listeners from around the globe.

Song of Lahore featured at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) this year, bringing the team of Song of Lahore to Dubai for the first time. We had a chat with the courageous two times Academy-Award winning filmmaker about her work and her new film.

Q: Your previous documentary short, Saving Face, was a brilliant execution of bringing a series of vile criminal acts to the masses. The rawness of the matter was eye-opening- how exactly did you decide that acid-attacks were what you were going to make a documentary about? Was there a particular encounter or incident that led to that?

A: Daniel contacted Dr. Jawad when he heard about the work he was doing with acid victims in Pakistan.

Daniel was inspired to look deeper into the subject matter, prompting the initial idea behind Saving Face.

He approached me to join his team when the film was in its initial stages for he felt we would work well together. The subject matter appealed to me because I feel very strongly about issues of gender and women's rights. Acid violence has been severely underreported in the Pakistani media and I felt it was important to bring attention to the issue in hopes of sparking change.

Q: How difficult has it been, touching on topics that are openly ignored, or considered as taboo?

A: As an investigative journalist, I feel that it is my duty to address issues that people do not want to discuss. I’ve always been interested in topics about human rights and women’s issues that many people find controversial. I choose to film subjects that spark difficult conversations and make people uncomfortable.

Change only comes about when people are forced to discuss an issue, and that’s what I hope my films do by highlighting the issue.

Q: We get noticed because of our successes but we create them on the back of our failures. And, more often than not, we learn best from experiences that don't work. Did you have any such failures that you were able to learn from? How did they change you and your process?

A: As a documentary filmmaker, you have to learn to deal with things that don’t go your way. Being able to adjust is crucial to this profession - , capturing all the different constituents of a phenomenon on camera is very challenging. It requires you to always be in the right place at the right time and that is not possible.

Over the years I have realized that it’s essential to enter any situation as prepared and aware as possible, with contingency plans in place. At the same time, we as filmmakers also have to be reasonable about where and who we can shoot; many areas in Pakistan are completely off limits, and we need to alter our DESIGN MGZ 6 | 9

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plans accordingly. Being a good filmmaker is about taking calculated risks, not diving in without a second thought.

Q: Was there a particular event or time where you realized filmmaking was what you wanted to do, and it went beyond a hobby to a career?

A: My interest in documentary filmmaking and narrative based story telling was sparked in 2011, when the tragic events of September 11th shifted the world’s focus to Afghanistan and Pakistan. I was a print journalist at the time and felt as though I was someone who could successfully understand both worlds; I thought that I could play a constructive role in relaying information from the East to the West.

Shortly thereafter, I made my first film, ‘Terror’s Children’, which was about Afghan refugee children living in Karachi. That experience taught me that there is always more to the story than what makes it to the evening news, or what graces our headlines the next day, and that those stories are the ones that need to be explored in order for us to understand conflict as a social and real thing, rather than an abstract idea.

This sentiment has guided my career as a filmmaker, and has established a theme of sorts; I go after stories that give a voice to those that are not usually given the opportunity to speak for themselves.

Q: You're quite an inspiration in Pakistan, and women in particular- how has the industry response been over time. 3 Bahadur was worlds apart from Saving Face, how was the experience working on a commercial film instead?

A: I was nervous because I had never worked in animation before, and documentary films are very different in terms of content and style. Documentary films are fluid in nature because the filmmaker is dependent on reality – the story develops organically and we capture it through the experiences and testimonies of our characters. With animation, you work in phases, from the original concept, to the storyboard, and then eventually the final material. At the end of the day, I want to tell stories that matter and finding the right platform to tell a story is part of the process.

When we started working on 3 Bahadur back in summer of 2012, it was an uphill climb - putting together a team, learning how animation works from the initial sketch to the final shot, and diving into a medium that is both expensive and time consuming. What surprised me was the ease with which we found exceptional illustrators, writers, animators and visual effect artists and, with their help, we found our pace a few months into the project. Seeing the characters that had only existed in static images come to life with their own quirks and mannerisms was an incredible experience!

Q: What are your next projects? Anything in particular that you've wanted to work on?

A: I ventured into fiction filmmaking recently and released Pakistan’s first animated feature film, 3 Bahadur, earlier this year. The film was a tale of three unlikely super heroes who inculcated a sense of pride and ownership in Pakistani children. In order to continue this legacy and further inspire the children of Pakistan, I am currently creating a sequel to the film. ‘3 Bahadur Part 2’ will be released in cinemas nationwide in December 2016.

Q: How did Song of Lahore start? What was the inspiration behind that?

A: ‘Song of Lahore’ was my first feature length documentary. I grew up listening to my grandfather's stories of our musical past. He would often talk about the orchestras that played at concerts and the musi10 | DESIGN MGZ 6 Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy with the Sachal Studio

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cians who played on Sunday evenings on street corners. By the time I grew up in the '80s, all of this was a thing of the past. I lived vicariously through his stories and often wondered what it would have felt to be part of his generation.

In 2011, I came across the story of a group of musicians from Lahore who had come together against all odds to record music using Pakistan's traditional instruments, and I knew that was a story I wanted to tell.

From Lahore to Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, these musicians found their inner calling. As our cameras filmed them performing a sold-out concert with Wynton Marsalis, I thought back to my grandfather's stories of our past and knew that I had managed to experience some of those moments that night.

Q: Which aspect of directing Song of Lahore was the most difficult? What aspect of direction was your favorite?

A: When I came across the story of Sachal orchestra, I knew this was a story I wanted to tell so I went online and did more research on them. At that time, I had no idea what the group's journey would be; I just wanted to preserve their voices and their music.

And what a journey it turned out to be.

For me, the most memorable moment was when the curtains went up and two groups of musicians who didn’t share a language, who understood music very differently played together Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy with co-director Andy Schocken harmoniously reminding the world that music is a universal language.

Q: We get noticed because of our successes, but we create them on the back of our failures. And, more often than not, we learn best from experiences that don’t work. Did you have any such failures that you were able to learn from? How did they change you and your process?

A: Film transcends all other mediums by portraying the subject in its most natural setting. It breaks all barriers between the subject and its audience and diminishes the possibility of embellishment – every emotion captured on camera is authentic and raw.

In Song of Lahore, once the musicians were invited by Wynton Marsalis to perform at the Jazz at Lincoln center, Andy my co-director and I successfully negotiated a rare agreement with Jazz at Lincoln Center, allowing us unfettered access to the rehearsals and performances. There are anxious, and at times comedic, moments in rehearsal as the two orchestras try to bridge the musical gap between them.

Q: We are all here at the DIFF presumably partially, because we love cinema. How did your love for movies get sparked and what can we — as a community — to do help others discover a similar pleasure?

A: I have always had an interest in foreign language films and that is why I think it is very important to support international film festivals. They showcase some of the most creative, interesting and important films from all over the world.

Q: A message for your fans, and aspiring filmmakers?

A: My advice to aspiring filmmakers eager to make a film would be to keep knocking! Never take no for an answer – use whatever resources are available to you and continue to practice and persevere. Whether it is using your cell phone instead of a fancy camera, or submitting a short film to a local festival, do the best with what you have. Spend time learning and perfecting your craft, and don’t let your ego get the best of you.

Never say no to a potential opportunity – you never know where it may lead you.

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COVER STORY

THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY— MAKING DRUGS OR MONEY? Written by Dana Osman

The pharmaceutical industry is a multi billion-dollar industry, in which millions of people all across the world depend on—they take pills, syrups, tablets, and injections all in the hopes of finding a cure for their illnesses. Although, in most cases these “miracles in a box” due tend to work, behind the scenes, the pharmaceutical industry is not the saving grace many people believe it to be. Instead, within this industry lies a whirlwind of corruption and manipulation, just like any other industry, the pharmaceutical industry’s primary goal is to make money, not to save lives.

Since the dawn of its existence, mankind has continually tried to improve itself; within the various facets of its existence, growth and progress have always remained constant. These are perhaps the most valuable attributes of the human-race, because without them, we would still be living in caves. However, the desire to grow and change often comes with a price. Sickness and death often follows in the trail of its footsteps, as with the Columbian exchange, where prosperity for the old world (Europe) meant death and devastation for the new world (America) because of small- pox. However, because of our innate tenacity to survive and progress, mankind has discovered ways to cure, and prevent its afflictions— and thus came the “miracle” of medicine.

Medicine is defined as the “the science and art of healing”, without its discovery, it is highly unlikely that the human-race would have survived for this long, and gives medicine the title of a modern-day miracle. However, as with most good things in life, corruption often manifests within its shadow, as is the case with the pharmaceutical industry, which is one of the very few industries that everyone in the world needs access to at some time. It is not a market defined by age, gender, geographic(s), ethnicity, culture, or race. It truly is a universal “market”, and for that reason it is understandable why the pharmaceutical industry has such a profound influence and such a large market share.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “the global pharmaceuticals market is worth $300 billion USD a year, which is a figure expected to rise to $400 billion USD within the next three years, with 10 of the largest drug companies controlling over one third of this market. It has also been recorded that companies spend one-third of all their sales revenue on marketing their products, which is almost twice the amount they spend on research and development”. (Pharmaceutical industry WHO) The fact that most pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than they do on research and development is unknown to most consumers, especially since many companies market old drugs as “new” drugs. Statistics show that two-thirds of “new” prescription drugs are either identical to existing drugs, or modified versions of them (Shocking facts).

Such unethical activities account for just the tip of the iceberg for this multi billion-dollar industry. Although, it shouldn’t be surprising that these companies constantly want to increase their profits. When the fate of people’s lives is placed in the mix, the lines between right and wrong should become very clear. Sadly, this isn’t the case.

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high returns on their investments, which usually means creating drugs for the industrialized world is prioritized over creating ones for underdeveloped regions where patients may or may not have money to pay for them (the pharmaceutical industry WHO). This phenomenon could help explain why counterfeit drugs have become so prevalent today, according to estimates by the WHO, around 10% of all drugs circulating worldwide, and 25% in less developed countries are fake. The most affected regions are Africa, Asia, and Latin America (The menace of fake drugs).

Counterfeit drugs may be watered-down versions of the original medication, they may contain in-active ingredients which preform no function, or they may consist of completely wrong ingredients. The consequences of ingesting these counterfeit drugs are grave, yet it is an issue that is quite difficult to tackle, specifically due to the fact that most medications are purchased from private vendors such as pharmacies. The list ranges from medications that treat the common agents. Anti-malarial drugs are also commonly faked in and if gone un-cured, malaria often leads to death. Another serious issue caused by counterfeit drugs, specifically antibiotics, is that it may lead to antibiotic resistance due to low dosage of the active-ingredient(s) which has been linked to the inability to eradicate/control infections such as tuberculosis and even malaria (The menace of fake drugs.)

Although some may argue that the pharmaceutical industry is not to blame for the production of counterfeit drugs, and that even if their profits are hurt, they are partially at fault due to the fact that the charged prices of their drugs are so high. Some medications even have a mark-up of 1,000 percent over the cost of their ingredients (Shocking facts). It is not surprising that if a person is severely ill, and does not have the money to pay for expensive drugs by renowned brands will most likely end up going for the cheaper (counterfeit) version (most likely because they don’t know it is fake). This again goes back to human nature, and our will for survival. If doing nothing will result in death, then a person will most likely try anything to prevent that from happening, even if it means taking medication that may not work.

Some may consider pharmaceutical companies to be genius, they know that at some point or another people are bound to get sick, and they also know that when they are sick they will do (and pay) whatever it takes to get better.

It’s not abuse, its business but it’s also highly unethical, because the nature of this business plays with the people’s lives. What happens when a person can’t pay for the $100,000-dollar course of medication? What happens when they can’t even pay for a box of antibiotics? Should these people be left to die? Although certain countries such as Canada do have initiatives that help people overcome these burdens, most third-world countries and even some first world countries (like the U.S.) do not and that is where the real the issue comes into play.

The abuse of people’s money however, is not the only unethical activity of this industry. Within recent years, the question of whether physicians such as psychiatrists are pushing medications to cure “non-existent” illnesses have arisen. Today, it seems that the cure to everything is drugs. You go in with back pain; you leave with pain killers. You go in with depression; you leave with anti-depressants. You go in with a cold; you leave with a bag full of medicines to “cure” your symptoms, but the reality is, instead of leaving with a cure, most people are left with a hefty bill and in some cases even an addiction to prescription drugs. Statistics show almost half of all Americans take at least one prescription drug, between the years of 1990 and 2008, expenditure on prescription drugs went from $40 billion to $243 billion in the U.S alone (Medical Device lawsuits).

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scription drugs non-medically in their lifetime” and in 2010 alone “enough prescription painkillers were prescribed to medicate every American adult every 4 hours for 1 month” (Drug Abuse in America). Along with this issue however, arises another pressing question, who is to blame for this epidemic of abuse? Is it the doctors who prescribe the medication, or is it the companies who create it? The answer to this is two-fold. On one hand physicians who purposely prescribe medications are certainly at fault, but the true culprit(s) are the companies’ representatives who bribe doctors to push their medication (Shocking facts).

Along with pushing drugs, some companies go as far as marketing drugs for unapproved uses. In 2012, one of the top pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline committed a billion dollar “crime” by doing just that (marketing drugs for unapproved uses) and neglecting to report drug and safety information to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (Billion-dollar wrong doing). The company had illegally marketed the drugs Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Avandia.

The anti-depressant Paxil, was not approved for patients under the age of 18 however, that did not stop the company from illegally marketing the drugs for children and teens. This was done by offering illicit payments to sales representatives and doctors to push the drug for use, despite the fact that all three clinical trials of Paxil’s safety and effectiveness in treating depression adolescents had failed.

Wellbutrin was another anti-depressant offered by the company, and despite the fact that the FDA only approved it to treat depression, GSK convinced medical professionals to prescribe the drug for an array of other treatments including weight loss, ADHD, drug addiction and even sexual dysfunction.

According to prosecutors, the company went as far as to give bonuses to employees who included unapproved uses of Wellbutrin in their pitches, and put those who did not give doctors kickbacks to improperly prescribe the Who is to blame for this epidemic of drug on leave (Billion abuse? Is it the doctors who prescribe the Dollar Wrong Doing).

The last drug mentioned Avandia, a renowned dimedication, or is it the companies who abetes drug which made GSK $10.4 billion dollars in create it? sales, had a dire side-effect which patients were completely unaware of— the drug increases the risk of heart attack by more than 40% in people with type 2 diabetes (Billion Dollar Wrong Doing). This information was discovered in 2007 by Dr. Steven Nissen, who published an analysis of the drug using data from the drug makers own trials that had never been reported. GSK only reported a portion of their findings to the FDA, despite the fact that an internal analysis conducted in 2006 showed 29% and 31% increases in heart risks for the patients with type 2 diabetes.

The unethical actions performed by the GlaxoSmithKline went unnoticed for many years, which allowed the company to rake in billions of dollars in profit. The company took no consideration into the fact that they were putting people’s lives at risk, instead their primary focus was (and most likely still is) to make money, not to help people.

Although the company did face justice, the price they paid for their wrong-doing ($3 billion USD) did not even put a hitch in their profits. Over the years the drugs were on the market, the three made a cumulative profit of $27.9 billion USD. GlaxoSmithKline however, was not the only pharmaceutical company that faced public humiliation due to its unethical practices; in 1999 the drug company Merck released a painkiller called Vioxx which doubled the risk of heart-attack and death. The drug was ultimately linked to 38,000 deaths over the five years it was in the market. Vioxx was an FDA approved drug which led many to question whether the FDA had purposely allowed the drug to be marketed, despite its drastic side effects. A study revealed how Vioxx was much lighter on the digestive track than most painkillers on the market (Vioxx recall). Even with the knowledge of its grave side effects, the drug was not pulled out from the market. Instead Merck simply agreed to a label change which disclosed its risks. However, after another study confirmed the drug’s risks, it was at last recalled in 2004 and Merck set up $4.85 as a settlement fund (Vioxx recall).

In 1996 another drug company-related incident occurred. During a meningitis outbreak in

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Nigeria, the famous drug company Pfizer illegally tested the experimental antibiotic drug Trovan on 100 children.

According to reports by Nigerian medical experts, there was no written evidence that the children or their parents knew that an unapproved drug was being tested (Illegal Testing) which resulted in the death of 11 children. In the end however, Trovan was approved for use by adults in the U.S. but was later removed from the market because it was linked to hepatotoxicity.

These cases portray just a snippet of the true unethical nature of this industry; the real truth about the pharmaceutical industry is that it is not what most people expect it to be. However, it has certainly left its mark on earth, while it would be a lie to deny that it has helped shed a positive light into people’s lives, it would also be a lie to say that it has not hurt people and abused their money. When considering how the millions of people’s lives and livelihoods are put at risk, it’s clear why the industry is so unethical. Instead of focusing on making drugs, it’s an industry constantly seeking profits and, as illustrated earlier, will do anything within its power to make that money.

“Pharmaceutical Industry.” WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

“Shocking Facts About the Pharmaceutical Industry.” Mercola.com. Mercola, 19 Apr. 2008. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

Chika, A., S.O Bello, A.O Jimoh, and M.T Umar. “The Menace of Fake Drugs: Consequences, Causes and Possbile Solutions.”

The Menace of Fake Drugs: Consequences, Causes and Possbile Solutions (n.d.): 1-2. Docs Drive. Research Journal of Medical Sciences, 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

“Popping Pills: Prescription Drug Abuse in America.” Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse, 02 Jan. 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2015.

Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Breaking Down GlaxoSmithKline’s Billion-Dollar Wrongdoing.” Time. Time, 05 July 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

“Pfizer Illegally Tested Unapproved Drug On Children In Nigeria.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 7 May 2007. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.

“Vioxx Recall— Merck and FDA.” DrugWatch. Drug Watch, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.

“Drug and Medical Device Lawsuits.” DrugWatch. Drug Watch, 20 Aug. 2015. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.

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OPINION

INHUMANE OVER HUMANITY? Written by Bushra Azeem

As we open to read newspapers, browse the internet or watch the news, we stumble across the ever increasing and inevitable situation of the global refugee crisis. When we hear the word “Refugee”, what plays through our minds? A possible terrorist? An external burden? A threat to the economy?

Worthless inhabitants? But does it cross our intellect that these “refugees” are ordinary humans who once lead ordinary lives in ordinary surroundings. So who are they in their not so ordinary lives?

Victims of war and oppression?

Yes, but these refugees are not just victims. These are the courageous people who escaped the most tormented crisis and places that most of us would consider as their worst nightmare, through fortitude and willpower. And yet, a large portion of the society frowns upon these individuals as docile and meek. Little do we know what they have really been through or experiencing at this very moment. There is nothing but war and conflict at the root of these catastrophic events. The only way we can provide aid to these helpless people is to let them cross the borders and take them in. How many countries have actually taken the effort to help them?

Countries like Lebanon and Pakistan are among the few, despite being severely under-resourced, been hosting a majority of refugees and now account as the top three host countries in the world along with Turkey, home to 30 percent of the refugees worldwide. But how many more refugees can these nations take in? What about other nations more capable of support to these refugees?

Not all nations have the heart to accept these misplaced civilians. Several nations, including Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, have rejected the proposition on allowing immigrants and instead strengthened and reinforced border fences to keep refugees and migrants from entering. The Aegean Sea and the Spain port became another humanitarian tragedy where a large number of migrants drowned trying to make it across the sea illegally. It tears my heart apart to see the images of the bodies washed ashore of which many are children and babies. We are all aware of the Syrian boy found face down on the shores of Turkey, unraveling the terror of

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human calam- ity and stirring public outrage across the globe. “The European nations that have turned the Mediterranean into a grave for immigrants share the sin for each immigrant’s death,” said Mr. Erdogan, President of Turkey. “It is not only immigrants who are drowning in the Mediterranean, it is also our humanity.” It is just a shame that countries with the resources and means have nothing but shut doors to welcome them. And it is these scandalous situations that have forced the refugees to take up illegitimate means for survival. This does not pertain to risking their lives and making illegal boat crossings across seas but they also face the heightened perils of sexual violence and abuse. Women and children are being forced to engage in ‘survival sex’ to pay smugglers to continue their journey. The anxiety of living as refugees is destroying numerous families both physically and mentally.

Another horrifying act against these refugees happens to be by the infamous Donald Trump, who in his recent statements repeated and amplified, “When the Syrian refugees are going to start pouring into this country, we don’t know if they’re Isis; we don’t know if it’s a Trojan horse”. His shocking proclamation goes on by indicating that he would not let any refugees in the country. “They should not come in, by the way. They should not be allowed to come in,” he said.

Another ludicrous mention of his also included that if he were elected, he would bring back harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding — or simulated drowning — which the Obama administration banned amid criticism they amounted to torture.

“We have to be strong. You know, they don’t use waterboarding over there — they use chopping off people’s heads,” Mr. Trump said in the interview. “I think waterboarding is peanuts compared to what they’d do to us, what they’re doing to us, what they did to James Foley when they chopped off his head.”

Refugees are not terrorists. Our concern is about humanity, not terrorism. These tortured survivors familiar with acts of terror and atrocities need time to recover but that does not mean they are labelled fugitives filled with cynicism and destruction. It is outrageous to see such remarks and thoughts of politically acclaimed individuals who are perhaps the future leaders of the world?

These inhabitants living in appalling situations can only hope for a better future.

As a society with less control over the decision making on whether or not we should accept refugees, with the help of social media many individuals have taken a step further to voice the less heard opinions and experiences of these powerless people in this battle against humankind. One such worthy of mention and a personal favorite happens to be a blog called Humans of New York, commonly known as HONY which is also a bestselling book

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featuring street portraits, stories and interviews collected on the streets of New York City. It was started in November 2010 by photographer Brandon Stanton, HONY has evolved from just snippets of people to full fledged conversations and experiences of people from not just New York but from various countries around the globe. In association with UNHCR, Brandon has covered the stories of migrants and refugees offering viewers a different perspective of their situations which in turn has resulted in numerous charitable donations and awareness campaigns. A man whose brother was murdered by ISIS, a woman whose husband died in the harrowing sea journey, a child who cried out “kill me instead!” when she saw her mother being crushed by a horde of people struggling to board a boat: These are the hysterical stories of refugees in Europe that were captured in a poignant photo series. “Together, these migrants are part of one of the largest population movements in the modern history,” Brandon said.

“Because I’m a In a world constantly stressing the need for refugee, my life is on pause. My humanity and benevolence, we stumble studies have stopped. I’m not across the decision of letting our humankind working. I don’t have a career.

I’m live a new life. The principle factor is that Because Syrian, I’m not allowed to the obligation to help should not be con- ipate in socieparticty. It’s trolled by geography but rather the adher- been years of d o i n g ence to widespread human rights and values nothing. I used to be a which rises above our ethnicity and religion. cheerful person.

I was always invited to parties. Now I like to be alone. I’ve become more nervous and aggressive. I yell over silly things. I just want to start my life again. I learned last Thursday that I’m going to a state called North Carolina. I’m very nervous. I know nothing about it. More than anything, I want to finish my education. But mostly I hope that whatever is waiting for me there is better than what I’ve gone through.” (Amman, Jordan) His blogs on the stories of refugees have stirred the hearts of millions of viewers and perhaps changed the typical outlook of the humankind on these people.

“For two weeks my tears didn’t stop. Nothing made sense. Why did these things happen to my family? We did everything right. Everything. We were very honest with everyone. We treated our neighbors well. We made no big mistakes. I was under so much pressure at this time. My father was in intensive care, and every day my sisters called and told me that ISIS was getting closer to our village. I went completely crazy. I fainted in the street one day and woke up in the hospital. I gave the rest of my money to a smuggler to help my sisters escape to Iraq. Now I only had 1000 Euro left and I was stranded in Turkey. My father recovered from his operation at this time. He called me and asked how I’d paid for his surgery. I told him that the money came from a friend. He asked if I had made it to Europe. For the first time ever, I lied to my father. I didn’t

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want him to feel guilty about his surgery.

I told him that I was in Europe, and I was safe, and there was nothing to worry about.� (Kos, Greece).

These stories are just a glimpse into the lives of millions of refugees from around the world. We can only imagine how grueling and strenuous their lives have been and will be. The deluge of refuge seekers into Europe and other western nations has uncovered a crack in the general sentiment over the degree of every nation’s obligation to the global society to work out policies to accommodate them. Nobody invites a catastrophe upon them, they just happen to be one among the unfortunate kind. If we have an opportunity to help these people and maybe a chance to restore someone’s life, no one would or should have the heart to venture back. Alongside social media, we as individuals can help them in numerous ways, by setting up fundraising events, donating resources to recognized charitable organizations or writing a petition to your local government to support the refugee crisis. Another interesting approach on a more global level is to get involved with organizations such as the UNHCR or Red Cross to offer your services and help as a volunteer.

Decisively, the most vital step which remains, is that the developed nations should agree to take in more refugees, but not only in confined numbers and intense circumstances. There is a need for a global effort to provide aid to these misplaced and incapable people. At no point in the present era has there been such an urgency for initiative towards the ever growing global refugee crisis. Our efforts towards this situation no longer pertain to this year but for our years to come and requires that we all think, not just from our hearts but our minds as well. In a world constantly stressing the need for humanity and benevolence, we stumble across the decision of letting our humankind live a new life. The principle factor is that the obligation to help should not be controlled by geography but rather the adherence to widespread human rights and values which rises above our ethnicity and religion. The way each of us react now, will affirm what sort of nations we are and the profundity of our humankind.

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OPINION

PARALYSIS OF PERFECTIONISM Written by Junaid Seraj

If you endeavored to be the perfect student in high school, got straight A’s and were involved in just about every extracurricular activity the school had offered, it wasn’t really whether the activity was enjoyable or not but your thought of being present in it was all that mattered to others. You strived to be the perfect achiever at everything so others would think ‘you’ would be someone that’d make it at life. Yes, that was high school. As you transitioned to college, things got stiffer, succeeding at ‘everything’ wasn’t really an option now which made you consider on what wasn’t done right, made you increasingly meticulous on what’s going wrong, thus inciting a tendency to constantly balance the pros and cons of every step you take. However, you don’t want your life to be an endless report card on accomplishments or outcomes but people who do want so are actually amidst the walls of perfectionism.

I, too, am hemmed within those walls.

In the dictionary, perfectionism is the refusal to accept any standard short of perfection. In extensive psychological terms, it is a personality trait characterized by a person’s striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high performance standards, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ evaluations. Although experts claim that it is a psychological flaw, it really isn’t all that bad. Many psychologists divide this tendency into two different categories: adaptive & maladaptive. Adaptive perfectionists are motivated by their high standards; they invest massive amounts of time and energy into their work that require a lot of attention and focus. They are the ones who think they’ll stop at nothing until the next work piece is achieved. Whereas, maladaptive perfectionists feel constant pressure in order to meet their unrealistic goals. They procrastinate because things are so hard to get done with; they fall under anxiety and depression because they are holding themselves to an ideal that they possibly can’t reach. They are the ones who’d probably fall sick under pressure and think the world will break in half if a typo is found in their paper.

According to Thomas Frank, an academic college speaker on YouTube, there is a spectrum between perfectionism’s adaptive & maladaptive sorts’, and for us, students, there are probably some benefits but they also bring in some problems. Few of the main problems are: 20 | DESIGN MGZ 6

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Picture Source: Exposing Perfectionism

“ Perfection motivates many but it also makes it harder to start the task because you are looking for the perfect time even whilst beginning

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1. It makes tasks seem monumental because you want to do so perfectly on them that you procrastinate.

2. Constant tweaking and editing will cause you to never actually publish and put things out there and move on because you are always second-guessing your previous decision (yes I’m facing this while writing this article).

3. Your skill development is hampered because you aren’t allowing yourself to make mistakes which are absolutely critical to learning process.

4. You have a lot of anxiety and stress because you are holding yourself to an unrealistic ideal & you’re constantly worried about your work being judged.

According to Dr. Jeff Szymanski, a clinical psychologist and author of The Perfectionist’s Handbook, ‘healthy perfectionism’ does exist. Szymanski cites findings from a review of 20 years of perfectionism research in his book that describe the surprising results.

The findings revealed that healthy perfectionism was associated with less procrastination, and lower levels of anxiety and depression, to more achievements and higher rates of academic success, as well as more social support, greater life-satisfaction and less self-blame.

The problem with perfectionism, he explains, isn’t in wanting things to be perfect but in what we do with that desire (Psychcentral Blogs).

What we need to realize is that we are not perfect and well, neither is anybody else. Think back to when we were toddlers and weren’t able to stand and run on the first try, we spent time crawling and toddling to strengthen the spine and bones; we tried and tried before taking our first step. So if it took so many tries to do something as simple as walking, why do you think you have to be able to write a paper or deliver a speech perfectly on the first try?

Perfectionism, in moderation, is a nice feature. Why do you enjoy music, paintings and movies? Because you notice that attention has been paid to every detail.

Things that are just cobbled together will not leave you

with ecstasy.

Be reasonable! Do you need everything that you deliver leave people in a trance? Often good is just good enough. There is no such thing as perfection, there’s just an abstract. Perfection motivates many but it also makes it harder to start the task because you are looking for the perfect time even whilst beginning. Stephen King mentioned a hint about perfectionism in his book “On Writing”, “Write with the door open and Rewrite the door closed”. This being a broad metaphor, there could be several interpretations to it but one obvious one is that, you don’t need to worry about your project in its first stage, just get it created in its rough initial form and then invite feedback and constructive criticism once you’re ready to start shaping the project into something that’s truly worthy of being finished. Jumping right away into the task helps building momentum which in turn brings about a flow of ideas and creativity whereas the final draft should be more intricate on details in terms of what is asked of the work.

Once you have finished a piece of work and you think you’ve given it your best shot, don’t fall back with the thought “Oh wait! I could have done a lot better”, rather continue with the flow and let the results of the work speak for itself. But considering you are short of time and unsatisfied with your work, it’s always better to go with a shorter and a quicker draft that highlights mostly on all of the main points.

The way to go about handling perfectionism is to juxtapose your optimism. Perfection is an illusion, it’s a condition of paralysis that’s instilled in everyone and it only kills your momentum, the momentum that you need to be successful. Think about perfectionism through this perspective: if you attain perfection, there will be nothing left to strive for. So embrace imperfection and embrace your mistakes, realize that it’s inevitable and will happen regardless of how much you strive for it.

The imperfect job you’ve done today is better than the supposedly perfect job that missed itsDESIGN deadline.

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WHAT WE RECOMMEND

House of Cards

Review by Zaid Shakil

“You have to be a little human when you are the president” From executive producers David Fincher (Fight Club), Beau Willimon (The Ides of March) and Eric Roth (Forest Gump) comes House of Cards. Living up to the repertoire of its producers, House of Cards follows the ruthlessness of House Majority Whip Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey) and his wife Claire (Robin Wright), who set off on a path of vengeance and ultimately the chair of the most powerful man on earth, with the given real-life scenario; debatable. Underwood makes revenge his life’s elixir and chef-d’oeuvre; with each painstaking stroke of his brush equaling another “bite out of the whale” that is the Administration.

PLOT :

House of Cards is an adaption of the BBC’s 1990s mini-series based on Veteran British Conservative Politician and best selling author, Michael Dobbs. It’s a story set on Francis Underwood, portrayed by Kevin Spacey, a Democrat from South-Carolina and a House Majority Whip and his path of schemes hatched, lies told and laws broken to the power he believes he is worth. Over the seasons, he has, with the aide of his wife Claire Underwood, defecated people, groomed politicians (if they denied to be his pawn, were derailed from his path), manipulated folks who highly regarded him, disavowed and squelched reporters; but he still isn’t done yet. There are far too many secrets to dig and bodies to bury for his cold, dark heart to feel the warmth of power, or is it the path of corruption with this magnitude that he longs for! Its interesting to watch the plot and play of Frank, stooping down to a level which was unimagined.

“For those of us climbing to the top of the food chain, there can be no mercy. There is but one rule: Hunt or be hunted”.

The character of Frank Underwood meets the textbook definition Antisocial Personality Disorder (the love to inflict psychological and/or physical trauma to others). So what attracts the viewers back to such a narcissistic, self-important jerk? Well, Frank has a soft corner too! He genuinely does care for a few people, like his wife, Claire (he would burn a man for his wife), or the owner of a ribs joint, Freddy, where Frank addresses, “I wont leave one of my bleeding in the field”. He engages with the viewers, breaking the Fourth-Wall, addressing to the camera, on accounts of events or mechanizations of his plots. He is the only character who does that! His wife, on the other hand, is more like Lady Macbeth, equally manipulative, scheming moves, helping Frank in his corrupt and bloody path to power. Claire can be referred to a lighter and a softer version of her husband, who apart from being aide in Frank’s schemes, has her own set of goals she strives to achieve. She comes across to be equally power-hungry but with a softer foot on the pedal.

Netflix has chosen to renew House of Cards to a fourth season. My overall rating did fall after comparing the third season to the first two. There was a tad bit change in the story line. The transformation of corruption to trivial moralism has shambled incompetency in the plot. We only hope the writers plum it up!

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VISUAL PROJECTION : I am not a fan of the look of this show, its has many of the qualities that I consider cheap and lazy. I don’t doubt for a second that the extremely dark look adds a patina of drama but, to me its just cinema trickery to save money and end up requiring less bandwidth. Vast darkness is a trick which producers like because it saves money and it hides an amazing amount of stuff that would otherwise look discounted. Dark is cheap!

CAST:

Fronted and launched (but not consistently directed) by David Fincher, who happens to be an Oscar-nominated director for Gone Girl and A Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, the cast is a glamourous list of A-listed prestige, with the leads of Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey and Golden Globe award winner Robin Wright. Fincher, also the executive producer of the show, had stated that every main character was their first choice. I believe every actor, whilst portraying their character, justify the demand of the script entirely.

OVERALL:

In the likeness of its predecessor, the 1990s British version of House of Cards, or the American classic Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing (Martin Sheen in the lead!), this recreation of Buea Willimon gives an overall, more brutal approach to the daily life in Washington DC (In reality, Washington is as venomous and sharp-elbowed). It is thrilling to watch the manipulative moves made by Frank, in the show, backed by the witty monologues, it does get you thinking what’s next. If you really enjoy inhumane, unscrupulous nature of humanity, give this show a go for Francis Underwood is your idol! But if you want to watch this show for its political presence, I would rather suggest you stick with The West Wing!

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TECH CRUNCH

BITCOIN 101

BITCOIN 101

Written by Anonymous

Written by @TigerTechAnon

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Picture Source: Tech Crunch

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a form of digital currency, created and held electronically. No one controls it. Bitcoins aren’t printed, like dollars or euros – they’re produced by people, and increasingly businesses, running computers all around the world, using a software that solves mathematical problems. It’s the first example of a growing category of money known as cryptocurrency.

What makes it different from normal currencies?

Bitcoin can be used to buy things electronically. In that sense, it’s like conventional dollars, euros, or yen, which are also traded digitally.

However, bitcoin’s most important characteristic, and the thing that makes it different to conventional money, is that it is decentralized. No single institution controls the bitcoin network. This puts some people at ease, because it means that a large bank can’t control their money.

at the bank, you could get some gold back (although this didn’t actually work in practice). But bitcoin isn’t based on gold; it’s based on mathematics.

Around the world, people are using software programs that follow a mathematical formula to produce bitcoins.

The mathematical formula is freely available which can be checked by anyone.

The software is also an open source, free to be looked into by anyone.

What are its characteristics?

Bitcoin has several important features that set it apart from government-backed currencies.

1. It’s decentralized: the bitcoin network isn’t controlled by one central authority. Every machine that mines bitcoin and processes transactions makes up a part of the network, and the machines work together.

Who created it?

A software developer called Satoshi Nakamoto proposed bitcoin, which was an electronic payment system based on mathematical proof. The idea was to produce a currency independent of any central authority, transferable electronically, more or less instantly, with very low transaction fees.

2. It’s easy to set up: A bitcoin address can be setup in seconds, no questions asked, and with no fees payable.

Who prints it?

No one. This currency isn’t physically printed in the shadows by a central bank, unaccountable to the population, and making its own rules. Those banks can simply produce more money to cover the national debt, thus devaluing their currency.

Instead, bitcoin is created digitally, by a community of people that anyone can join. Bitcoins are ‘mined’, using computing power in a distributed network.

This network also processes transactions made with the virtual currency, effectively making bitcoin its own payment network.

4. It’s completely transparent: Bitcoin stores details of every single transaction that ever happened in the network in a huge version of a general ledger, called the block chain. The block chain tells all.

If you have a publicly used bitcoin address, anyone can tell how many bitcoins are stored at that address. They just don’t know that it’s yours.

There are measures that people can take to make their activities more opaque on the bitcoin network, though, such as not using the same bitcoin addresses consistently, and not transferring lots of bitcoin to a single address.

So you can’t churn out unlimited bitcoins?

That’s right. The bitcoin protocol – the rules that make bitcoin work – say that only 21 million bitcoins can ever be created by miners. However, these coins can be divided into smaller parts (the smallest divisible amount is one hundred millionth of a bitcoin and is called a ‘Satoshi’, after the founder of bitcoin).

What is bitcoin based on?

Conventional currency has been based on gold or silver.

Theoretically, you knew that if you handed over a dollar

3. It’s anonymous: Well, kind of. Users can hold multiple bitcoin addresses, and they aren’t linked to names, addresses, or other personally identifying information. However...

5. Transaction fees are miniscule: Your bank may charge you a £10 fee for international transfers. Bitcoin doesn’t.

6. It’s fast: You can send money anywhere and it will arrive minutes later, as soon as the bitcoin network processes the payment.

7. It’s non-repudiable: When your bitcoins are sent, there’s no getting them back, unless the recipient returns them to you. They’re gone forever.

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Sha-256(Encrypted Economy) Written by Ahmed Fardan

Centralized weightless unlimited printable papers is how normal currencies and currency exchange are explained. Banks holding the goods with them and allowing you to use your own hard work money makes you feel degraded and easily stolen by a heist from the bank securing it for you. A creation of a single world currency was always thought of, but the biggest candidates were the US Dollar, the Euro and the Chinese Yen. As we all can see, every day there’s a chance of world war III blowing out around these countries that have the candidacy, which makes it very risky if you were Sweden or the UAE keeps you economically dependent. Risk is always an issue when it comes to investments and currency exchange. Interest is always applied there and every 26 | DESIGN MGZ 6

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hop or business in between you and whomever you are trying to do business with there will be money drained out of your initial investment with taxes, interest, commission and all the equivalents of having money move from one owner to another and the traded material moving through. If you’re one of those people who are sick of that wish for a single currency that doesn’t need to be exchanged by crossing borders, isn’t country dependency or a single business dependency ready to take a risk until it all stabilizes to a limit? Be assured that no more than that number of coins or stack of papers would be printed or molten into money. Then you might want to move to the cyber world, the encrypted economy and the world wallet, not a bank but just a wallet. But of course

from each block which is big money but as a pool of hun- you don’t want to lose your wallet, not the real one nor dreds or thousands of people you sometimes share it each the cyber wallet. based on the work force they put into the mining process.

Pay without Visa and MasterCard, pay with merely your That is how this currency is getting mined and someday phone or tablet, and in case of online shopping just your sometime we will run out of it thus the price will just fly up laptop or even simpler, your wallet address. Wondering the sky. So get it now before it’s too late. what this is all about I went around the search and even 3 years ago people used to mine with their laptops on tested myself, it’s still too early to see any results but free time or on their desktop CPU’s, later on GPU’s were we’re going somewhere. Remember the days of the Wild used and people had to spend more on their computers West where the man or family with the gold mine got and electricity as well having the mining rig run all day rich first. Now we’re in the not so wild east where every long, and in some cases having more than just one com- person mines before all the mines run out. But this is not puter mine separating the load. At a point they were us- gold what they are mining, and the miners are not huing computer clusters to mine and later on this was also mans, you might call them robot miners, but they aren’t getting hard to do as the more bitcoins mined, the more that cool yet. These are just computers normal desktop difficult the decryption becomes and more hash power is computers or a special computer called ASIC but that’s needed. Then came the creation of ASIC rigs which were not how the economy is getting encrypted, those are 1700 stronger than comjust descriptors running puter GPU’s in this spea script on the whole cific job, but not useful internet searching for for gaming or watching a hidden treasure, each movies. Soon even these clue leads to another were not enough and one and a reward is givpeople started joining Bit­coin is actually a series of encrypted blocks en, the end treasure is together in pools just like actually nothing more spread around the internet the gold mines started than the reward givturning industrial and not en on each clue check a single miner mining to point. And once you feed his family. Trading reach the treasure, no sites were created and more clue points which enterprises accepted this means no more recurrency, even in Microsoft you can by Xbox games with wards. But there is still a way to move forward, the more bitcoins, you can eat a pizza with bitcoins here in Dubai, transactions happen the trading between these rewards, even hotdog stands in New York accepts it. There’s an ATM spawns tiny rewards to the whole economy equally behere at DSO that accepts bitcoins and pays your DEWA cause of their participation. bills through your du or Etisalat bills.

Now this is neither a treasure hunt nor a game of any When going international, these coins are used all over kind you download and play on your laptop. This is real the world except in the countries that block them, then acceptable money the most famous and expensive of all they are moved underground like the black-market or the is Bitcoins which is about 260 dollars as I write this article highly illegal dark web of under-aged girls’ shops. Nothing and back in 2014 it was up to a thousand dollars, dropyou’d be interested in with this I hope, so stick with pizza ping after the sanctity on it, but not for long as there are places and paying your bills here until more shops start businesses around the world that are government indeaccepting. Many places have already done that in the US pendent who are accepting it and the currency exchange and Russia, even china accepted it as a legitimate curren- are being exchanged for it. This cyber currency will suscy. Think of it like an anonymous peer to peer trading unit. tain its strength. Bitcoin is actually a series of encrypted No need for a bank or a central authority to stamp your blocks spread around the internet just like blocks of gold transaction and make you wait for days until your friend or were spread around the caves and mountains in the real mom receive the money you sent her, it can be as instant world, there was still gold found in ground pockets but to about 10 minutes, because the whole world of bitcoin that wasn’t much as a serious mine. These bitcoins are users or miners have to accept your transaction. They decrypted by brute force, the write hash key, and the don’t know who is sending money to whom they don’t lucky user or pool of users that find it get 25 bitcoins

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know how much money they just know that there is mon- method as the bitcoins or the light coin use Scrypt while ey moving from one to another and they have to update others use X11, some use even md5 which is like the fat their backup list so that no one loses track of a transaction kid of all encryptions. This cryptography is a one way eneveryone is there to witness money has reached the right cryption where there is no way back, and the size is standperson. Also no more frozen assets because you are sus- ard 256 bits or 512 bits, doesn’t increase or decrease based pected of being a drug lord or an ISIS Khalef. Complete on the size of the original data encrypted. The only way to anonymity, security and privacy of exchange since no one decrypt these hashes is through brute forcing and trying can see your balance but you, something banks don’t give out every possible hash one by one until it works. This isn’t us and a very attractive point to these drug lords or terror- ideal if you have billions with just your singular computer ist organizers but it also attracts the normal users, the piz- doing these, so the hash rate was further speculated. MHz za hungry men who hate carrying cash but also hate cards standing for mega hash and Giga hashes then Tera hash and banks as well. This is just like cash as bitcoin wallet up to the recent Peta hashes which are about enough for is locally saved on your phone device or a special secure now. These ranking at billions and trillions of hashes per device of your choice plus you can back it up with a recov- second can’t be done with simple computers and lone ery key too. But for as long as you have not lost it you can wolfing. Pools and clouds are the only ways to catchalways pay with your phone up with these powerful or the wallet device you hashing rates. Clouds will have. All money you mine sell you a T/hash at about whether in a pool or solo, 500 AED which aren’t too goes in your wallet. Now a The only downside in the bitcoin community expensive for the power days clouds have all the ser- right now is it is still on the brink of mining you get, while buying a vices you need, they’ll even and 10 more million bitcoins are yet to be computer with that powbuy an ASIC or a graphics er these days is 5000 AED. found out of a total 21 million that are card just for you to take care Crypto mining for rookies scattered around of electric bills and give you is going through a cloud a wallet with trading space. and pool. Other regular All you need to do is buy mining methods require not rent space in their data lots of base money and centers and specify the free electricity to profit hash power you require and you’re good to go mine the and that’s if you have a way to convert your bits to your debitcoins trade with real currencies as well as crypto curren- sired currency or just stick with bitcoins and spend them cies. Giving you the whole package all in one. somewhere you don’t want to spend none of the cyber The only downside in the bitcoin community right now is money on. it is still on the brink of mining and 10 more million bit- Concluding the economical print of these cryptocurrencoins are yet to be found out of a total 21 million that are cies, they are not highly dependent on a centralized point scattered around. The economy is still very questioned of allocation. And the only way out is if one man or compaover its survivability in through the centuries to come. Giv- ny buys all the bitcoins in the world which is above 50% of en the past of all currencies that have come, a cyber-one the overall bitcoins which would kill the decentralization seems to have the same fate. But for now as long as it’s of the currency. This will be a great loss to that company standing on a level way over the other currencies of the and a wining situation to all the users that sold him, given world, bitcoins have the tag name of the world’s curren- the alternative coins one of them will just take over the cy. Alt coins have been rising hoping for a similar world bitcoins place, most probably the light coin will be next reaction like the most common Light coin as in addition in line, and so on the one after it. A recent story involved to Doge coins, dark coins, BC coins, and many others. Of a supercomputer from a university that was hijacked into course all are very cheap and hardly ever used anywhere mining doge coins and from the name it shows to be startout of the internet. Light coins seem to have a slight ben- ed as a joke, which evolved into what it is, as you can see efit over the rest being at the rate of 3.00 US dollars right this will keep bringing more and more alt coins, which is a now. Yes even the alt coins are stronger than our known downfall itself. In 5 years bitcoins will recover to their 2014 currencies. price at a thousand and then the miners can profit from it.

Fortunately the alt coins don’t use the same encryption

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I had chosen to go to Dubai for RIT’s Study Abroad program because I wanted to travel the world. Ever since I had gone to Paris when I was in high school, I knew I wanted to continue traveling the world to see what else is out there.

I dreamt of learning how a person on the other side of the world lives life. What better way to travel than to do it with RIT? I fell in love with the fact that RIT has a campus in Dubai because it allowed me the chance to take a few steps out of my comfort zone but maintain the support from the RIT community.

Going to a new country for a few months can be quite intimidating. Here are a few thoughts that came into my mind during this semester.

years to adapt to my lifestyle back home. The previous 24 hours of traveling has been a bit scary. This last 24 hours have felt so cherry? Over and over I’m asked, “Do you like Dubai?” With this question being asked they must be expecting a lie because I have yet to see the best and yet to see the worse so until I see both, this place has no worth.

Fitting In: I remember when one of my teachers told me that Dubai isn’t a place I should go to. They said, “All the girls are all covered up, and it’s not a place for African Americans, you won’t fit in!” They then mentioned that I should start looking to go elsewhere so I can have a good time. It’s now that the remembrance of those words blows my mind. Many peop l e – g i r l s and guys –nationalities of

First 24 hours: 24 hours after entering a new country there is a wave of reality that tends to hit you. Most people will get one of the two thoughts, “Why the hell did I come here?” Or “Best decision I’ve ever made.” Neither thought is valid at this stage of arrival. Not because the human EXPERIENCES isn’t smart enough, it has more to do with the fears and excitement, that hasn’t had time to settle in. Or those fears that haven’t been re Written and pictures taken by Devran Purdie solved! It took me 20

STUDY ABROAD

all kinds.

Diversity is present in Dubai and it’s such a nice thing to see.

Any place that I visited, I saw people similar to me. I haven’t encountered a person to be rude to me. I have made friends and I’m able to relate to the people that I speak to. I’ve been accepted and appreciated by everyone. All of my new friends here have proved ‘her’ wrong. And for that, I love them!

Dubai, I’ve been given the opportunity to explore my mind, ask millions of questions, and make new friends. When I visit homes I’m offered drinks (juice of course). And there is usually a deeper tone of making sure you are comfortable. The welcoming of different thoughts, ideas and cultural norms would make you feel as if you are close to home. In all ways accepted, by people who have full hearts - and for now on - that will be my definition of hospitality.

Ways that I have grown: - Being exposed to a new kind of diversity has helped me to better communicate with others.

- Increased independence has helped me to mature and be better able to solve life problems on my own.

Hospitality: In the U.S. I think of hospitality as opening up - Becoming more appreciative of the small things in life.

DESIGN MGZ 6 || 27 29 WRITERS our home-to feed, interact and entertain someone. Here in

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LIFESTYLE

“Ditch your routine with some caffeine” Written by Joost van der Heijde

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Relaxation. Taking some time off, a break from all the hectic caused by quizzes, projects and midterms. How often do you do it? Granted, some of the RIT Dubai students rarely set a foot into the university building, but the majority of us are usually quite busy. When you wake up late because of that snooze-button on your phone is just too tempting not to press, you take a quick shower, and make sure you’re on the road on time so you can barely make your 9 AM class, you’re most likely not going to have breakfast. While we would never suggest you would give up your well-deserved night sleep, we do suggest that you take some time off for a nice breakfast when you have some hours off in the morning. We went to TOM & SERG to see if they could provide us with a relaxing start of the day.

TOM & SERG is tucked away in a corner of Al Quoz, near Ace Hardware, in a two-story warehouse. The place was founded by two friends, hence the name: Tom who likes to cook, and Serg who likes to eat. The interior is significantly different from most restaurants in Dubai, with its high ceilings, exposed glass and open-space interior design. Due to the massive windows it has a bright atmosphere, and the barista and chefs can always be seen doing their craft in the open kitchen. Upon entering, one has the choice of sitting either up- or downstairs. Based on our experience, the ground floor of the restaurant seems a bit more crowded and noisier, aimed for a leisure breakfast, whereas the first floor commonly hosts more business and single people tapping away on their laptops.

One of the best things about TOM & SERG is the possibility to not only relax, but also study there.

The first floor consists of tables and couches where you can both enjoy your breakfast as well as getting something productive done. Once seated you’re presented with a relatively short menu, which hosts an array of breakfast and lunch dishes, along with various beverages. What is notable is that TOM & SERG is a breakfast and lunch restaurant and cafe, and therefore closes its doors at 4 PM; a rarity in the round-theclock city that is Dubai. The menu consists primarily out of a fusion of different cuisines, which results into some creative and interesting dishes. However, the dishes change regularly, so when you read this the menu might have changed already.

We decided to start off with some coffee. According to the Italians, no breakfast is complete without a cappuccino, and we have started to live by these words. The coffee is of excellent quality, and signifi-cantly better than most coffee shops in Dubai. Since they specialize in breakfast and lunch, we opted for the Benedict and a BLT sandwich. The Benedict was of high-quality, however the portion was relatively small. The BLT was sublime and the homemade lemon ketchup was a welcome surprise. The quality of food is at a very high level and definitely recommendable. The prices are on par with other restaurants and cafes in the city, and are reasonable.

Overall, we’ve had a great experience at TOM & SERG. We think it’s a great place for students to un-wind, study or both. The atmosphere can be pleasantly crowded, but sit somewhere else and you will not have problems preparing for that upcoming midterm. Combine that ambiance with great coffee and food, and you find yourself in one of Dubai’s many hidden gems.

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EVENTS

RIT EVENTS: A LOOK BACK Written by Hannah Shibu, Navya Vibhunath, Junaid Seraj

Photographs taken by RIT Dubai

SEPTEMBER

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FRESHERS’ PARTY

Students from all years joined the fresher’s party to welcome freshmen to the new academic year. The event kicked off with karaoke, prior to which the SG President Mashal Waqar welcomed all the freshmen to RIT Dubai. This fun social event was a great way for students to mingle and make new friends. We hope that the good cheer and sense of fraternity from this event stays on at the campus for a very long time.

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week of university, all while enjoying a good time with friends.

OCTOBER

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ALUMNIVS STUDENTS BASKETBALL MATCH

The first-of-its-kind Alumni vs.

Students’ basketball match was held this October. It was a friendly match at the basketball court, where students got to interact with alumni from various years, which made it a great evening for everyone. It was nice to see so many new fresh faces in the student’s team, and watch them display their talent on the court. Despite playing on opposite teams, the sportsmanship and camaraderie between the players was an excellent example of how the game brought the Tiger family together.

Students won by 8 points, but either way, it was a Tiger victory!

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FUNDRAISER

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BRUNCH FACULTY

The SG hosted two major fundraisers this semester: Pink Day and Blue Day. Pink Day was organized in October to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness. The students, faculty, and staff of RIT Dubai showed immense love and support towards raising awareness for this important cause. Solidarity was shown by wearing pink attire on ‘Pink Day’, and an incredible amount of 4000 AED was raised by selling cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts and even little pink ribbon badges. All the proceedings from the fundraiser were donated to Pink Caravan UAE.

MOVIE NIGHT

Following in the tradition of the previous years, the Student Government (SG) hosted its first ‘Movie Night’ of the semester.

Everyone had an incredible time as they gathered at the Conference Center to watch one of the best pictures of the year, Spy. Bean bags and couches were set up in the Conference Center, and it was great to see everyone socialize and enjoy the movie in such a fun, relaxed, and comfortable environment. Food and refreshments accompanied the setting, of course, because what movie night is complete without snacks!

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BOUNCE MIDDLEAST

Bounce Middle East was one of the most successful events of the Fall semester. Students of RIT Dubai experienced the ‘Jumping Revolution’ at Bounce Middle East and got amazing ticket prices. This event was a great outlet for students to relieve stress an take a much needed break from a hectic

WITH

Aimed at fostering better relations in the RIT Dubai community, SG organized a Brunch which was open to all staff, faculty, and students—all were seated in a round table format in groups. Many staff and faculty shared their experiences and interests with the students, sparking a

lot of interesting conversations. The atmosphere was absolutely wonderful; it left everyone craving for more dialogue outside the of the office and classroom environment. All in all, it was a truly memorable experience for everyone involved.

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NOVEMBER

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FALL BBQ

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FUNDRAISER

Mamzar Park livened up to the sounds of 60 vivacious students as they entered the beach-park for a day of fun in the sun. With the beach next to the park, students had plenty to explore and look forward too, with various sports activities, music, and not to mention the flavorful BBQ! Senator Sami, who was head of the BBQ, was also the chef hero of the day. Everyone enjoyed the great food, weather, and music thus ending the day on a perfect note!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Stepping aside from the beaten path of costume parties, SG turned it a notch higher this year by adding a Humans vs. Zombies game to last year’s tradition of building a haunted house in the University.

With wonderful themed rooms, appropriate lighting, and excellent décor, visitors were all caught by surprise with the numerous jump scares and elusive props which turned the University into something completely different. Many student volunteers painstakingly dressed up for the jump scares, with the help of Dana Osman and Bushra Azeem, our talented special FX makeup-artist volunteers. Students watched an independent horror movie which few had heard about, setting the mood as they waited for their turn to tour the haunted house, while having some refreshments. Students were also encouraged to dress in costume, as the best dressed students would be given awards. A photo booth was also available for students to capture their memories. This year, Vishaal Ganesh also shot and edited a Halloween video, which captured the evening beautifully.

In November, the RIT Tiger family wore ‘blue’ to show their love and support towards Prostate Cancer Awareness. With the same level of enthusiasm and fervor, the SG received many generous donations as with Pink Day. All proceedings from the Fundraiser were donated to Prostate Cancer Foundation. It was a beautiful sight to see everyone contribute towards making a difference by supporting, and helping in the fundraising process by any means they could.

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first-of-its kind, because it was a platform for upperclassmen to interact with professionals from the industry. Keeping in mind the objective of improving corporate relations, the event was organized to give networking opportunities to students, by allowing them to meet with different professionals with the necessary expertise in the field. The classification of professionals, staff, and students was based on their lanyard colors. This not only made it easier to identify individuals major-wise, but it was also a way to network with professionals from different industries.

What a great way for students to gain a better understanding of the corporate world!

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THANKSGIVING

Family and fellowship are two words that come to everyone’s mind when they think of thanksgiving. Bringing this spirit to life, students gathered to eat a 3 course lunch of roast turkey, buttered vegetables, sausages, mashed potatoes, and bread pudding. Students enjoyed this hearty meal as they gathered together with friends, truly bringing the thanksgiving atmosphere to life.

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EVENTS

DUBAI EVENTS

November Art Unveilings: Richard Hambleton & Suzi Fadel Nassif Written by Mashal Waqar

November was clearly a winner for art enthusiasts. Richard Hambleton’s exclusive pieces were unveiled in Dubai for the very first time, at La Cantine Du Faubourg, while Suzi Fadel Nassif’s Movember themed pieces were unveiled at Coya Dubai.

Hambleton, renowned as the ‘God of Steet Art’ [no blasphemy intended] by quite a majority, including well-known artists such as Banksy and Blek le Ret, came into the limelight in the ‘80s during the boom of New York’s art scene. His Shadow-man paintings are spread all across, from Paris and Berlin to London and Rome— each painting depicts a splashy shadow figure resembling a life-sized silhouette. Hambleton describes his work as “public art”, and indeed, there is a lot of truth in those two words because his pieces have a rawness that’s intertwined with the NOVEMBER ART UNVEILINGS: RICHARD HAMBLETON & SUZI FADEL NASSIF mundane simplicity of everyday life. Suzi Fadel Nassif’s pieces, on the other hand, are very urban and have a funky feel to them.

S EARCIPSUM UT PRAE. Where Hambleton’s pieces are vibrant in the every-day aspect yet dark at the same time, Nassif’s pieces reflect a very different palette, with every piece subtly hinting at cultural authenticity.

Nassau’s collection at Coya, Fragments of Nostalgia, is her rendition of the various stages of humanity and links the essence of her interpretation of Movember’s meaning.

DUBAI AIRSHOW

Dubai Airshow

Written by Sharan Sadhu

In recent years, the Dubai International Airshow has solidified its position in the international aviation industry, becoming one of the most important trade exhibitions in the world today.

The 2015 Dubai Airshow promised its participants to be more extravagant than ever before, with over 1100 exhibitors from across the globe focusing on Commercial and Military Aviation, Business and General Aviation, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Space Explorations and 3D Printing Displays.

Throughout the exhibition, many informative seminars were held to educate traders, exhibitors and even students; such as an Airport Safety and Security Conference addressing the growing demand for air travel across the Arabian Gulf, and how it has led to an increase in adopting safety measures to counter risks, threats, and unforeseeable incidents. Another Seminar, 34 | DESIGN MGZ 6

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the Technology Cooperation and Investment Conference, examined the role and capability of UAE companies to participate in the global supply chain of the growing industry. A Future’s Day Seminar was also held, and it looked closely at building the next generation of aviators. This seminar in particular focused on different groups of university students, by giving them a chance to experience career opportunities first-hand, and helping them understand the diversity of the aerospace industry.

Some of the eye catching exhibitors included the New Zealand based first time exhibitor, Martin Aircraft Company that presented its V4 Engine Martin Jetpack. Dubai’s Directorate of Civil Defense (DCD) signed a deal with the company for future delivery of Manned and Unmanned Jetpacks for the Civil Defense and Fire Service Department. The DCD said that this inclusion will modify and enhance their effective emergency response vehicles in tandem with Dubai’s modern skyscrapers, vast infrastructure, and unique designs, this addition will in turn help them save people’s lives more effectively. This year the show also added a dedicated 3D Print Pavilion and 3D Print Show, complete with its own 3D sculpted Art Exhibitions and live displays. The World’s fastest 3D-printed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was also unveiled, displayed, and demonstrated at the exhibition.

The Flying Displays undeniably remained spectacular this year as well, with performances from Italy’s Frecee Tricolori, France’s Air Force Rafale, and UAE’s Al Fursan Flying Team among many others. Sadly, even with an almost perfect geographic location for ideal Airshow weather, Dubai’s Airshow still suffered due to unexpected weather conditions. Thankfully however, to the visitors’ pleasure, the flying display was only canceled on the fourth day of the exhibition and did not affect the other days.

Although the final sales were distinctively lower than the last Dubai Airshow, this year’s Dubai Airshow was still a huge success for the organizers and many exhibitors, as seen in the remarkable final order book from the show. The show was extremely pleasing for the visitors too, with a number of exotic aircrafts, and groundbreaking technological innovations that helped cement a memorable experience, overall.

Critical Communications Middle East 2015 Written by Mashal Waqar

The Critical Communications MENA 2015 conference was a 3-day conference, where different leaders from the critical communications and TETRA industry demonstrated new advanced technologies and innovative implementations. The conference had a very impressive lineup of speakers and panelists ranging from Peter Hudson (Sepura), and Kiran Vaya (Motorolla Solutions) to Patrick Flynn (Director, Homeland/National Security DESIGN MGZ 6 | 35

Peter Hudson at the Sepura stand

Tip!

Tip!

Tip!

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Programs), George Rice (CEO, iCert) and Bassam AlMaharmeh (Chief Information Security Officer, Jordan Ministry of Interior).

A key point discussed on the first day was the ultimate goal of public safety devices and technology having the same capabilities as smartphones, despite ensuring mission-critical coverage, avail- ability and security. There was also a particular focus on the transition to LTE using dual systems, and convergence with IP-based systems. Airbus Defense and Space were at the forefront of in- novation with their Tactilon Suite solution offering integration of smart devices with radio communications, enhancing mission-critical communications with broadband data. The second day of the conference revolved around panel sessions about the future of critical communications, and the growing need for en- hanced security. On the whole, it was certainly a very insightful conference and was quite an experience for individuals interested in the public-safety technology domain.

On a side note, it was a bit startling to see only one female speaker in the whole conference. If there is a change in demographics of STEM fields, perhaps the next the CritCom conference will have a more gender-neutral panelist division!

DUBAI EXPO 2020: Youth Connect Written by Junaid Seraj

The Dubai Expo 2020 launched Youth Connect which was the first in a series of annual events designed by the youth and for the youth to unlock opportunities. The event was held on 14th November 2015 and it welcomed some of the nation’s brightest young minds. It gathered UAE Residents between the ages 16 and 25 for an immersive experience engaging them through inspirational speeches, hands-on workshops and engaging discussions led by some of the world’s most successful individuals from a variety of industries and disciplines.

I really had an amazing time at the event; I met some of the UAE’s youngest top achievers and adult experts. I also got to learn so much on how Dubai and other nations have developed during the past recent years. The workshops were definitely where I got to meet the professionals and engage in discussions regarding the event and even ourselves personally. During lunch time, speeches and talks were held by experts in their fields which was great. Apart from academic happenings, there were artistic events as well that gave quite an insight to what professional art such as photography and calligraphy feels like.

Overall, the event was a very interesting and profound learning experience.

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FACULTY FEATURE

Q & A with Dr. Boutheina Tlili For this issue we have interviewed our highly esteemed Electrical engineering professor, Dr. Boutheina Tlili, who joined RIT Dubai in 2010. Dr. Tilli received her BS, MS and PhD in electrical engineering from the renowned Michigan State University in the United States. Dr. Tlili is also a venerated senior member of the “Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers” (IEEE), and she served as the IEEE region 8 women in engineering chairman of the UAE from 2005-2015. Under her leadership, the IEEE WIE UAE section obtained “2010 Women in engineering affinity group of the year” award.

Q: You’ve had years of experience in your field - What motivated you to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering?

A: When I was in high school, I wanted to be a medical doctor, but then I received a scholarship to attend university in the States on the grounds that I took up Engineering. Initially, I didn’t know much about Engineering but upon taking up a course detailing the different types of Engineering, I found that Electrical Engineering was what captured my interest.

A: First of all, it is a fact that we don’t have a lot of women in STEM fields - 30% of the workforce is made up of women, and only 10% of women hold leadership positions. I think girls have to be encouraged by parents and teachers to pursue more commonly male dominated careers. In the Arab world however, you see more women in STEM fields as compared to the US and Europe, partly because of the encouragement from parents and teachers. I feel that we need to put emphasis on the fact that as a Q: You’re at quite an esteemed position woman, you won’t necessarily have a right now; did you face discrimination tradeoff between having a successful along the way? What has your personal family life and a successful career. experience been like?

A: I never really felt any discrimination - Q: How many years have you been in I believe that if you treat yourself as an the academic industry? equal to everyone else, people will look A: Currently, I’ve been in academics for at you the same way. When I was doing 21 years. I started teaching a few classes my undergraduate studies in the US, during my graduate studies - teaching there were 10 females in the entire class. students Math and labs related to ElecWhen I pursued my PhD, I was the sole trical Engineering. female. I don’t think I’ve ever put myself in a situation where I thought that Q: What sparked your interest in antenI couldn’t accomplish something due to nas and electromagnetic theory? my gender. I went to a high school were A: It’s interesting to see how something women were empowered to pursue their you cannot see can be such an essenpassions and dreams. tial aspect of life and the industry. I had Q: How difficult do you think it is for a professor during my undergraduate women in STEM fields (computing and studies who inspired me. I liked the way engineering) in terms of jobs and oppor- he taught and explained concepts with tunities? How has your personal experi- clever examples. ence been?

Q: You’ve been the IEEE Woman in Engineering Chair in the UAE section for over 10 years. Could you tell us something about the journey and how you got to this position?

A: There is a retention of women engineers involved academically and professionally. I wanted to make sure that I could serve as an inspiration for women and men in the field. In 2010 and 2012, we received the prestigious international “Women in Engineering Affinity Group of the Year” award, honoring women engineers in the UAE. With an initial group number of 16, we now have 200 or more members. We have also worked with different sectors from other GCC countries. It’s amazing to see the progress we’ve made. I recently organized a big event called, “Women in Science and Technology Forum” that saw hundreds of women engineers, scientists and doctors in attendance. I chose to invite high school students in hopes that it will inspire them to pursue their passions.

Q: What do you enjoy during in your free time?

A: I like going to the beach to relax and listen to the waves, I also enjoy practicing yoga and reading books when I’ve got spare time. I do love returning to the US from time to time - I enjoy travelling and going to different places, and getting a feel for other people’s cultures.

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