Building Global Careers By CANDICE YACONO
he benefits of attending a university in the United States go beyond obtaining an international degree. There are nearly 4,000 accredited colleges and universities to choose from, and each institution offers a distinctive experience to its students. Along with a cutting-edge and globally competitive academic environment, there is one other important reason to study at a higher education institution in the United States. “The most valuable experience that a U.S. education offers is the opportunity to study with American students and international students from across the globe,” says Aparna Chandrashekaran, EducationUSA adviser at the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF). “This cross-cultural exposure and networking opportunity is invaluable and sets the stage for a global career.” These unique advantages were among the factors that inspired Aravind Natarajan and Sudha M. Raghavan from Chennai to pursue higher studies in the United States. Natarajan received his doctoral degree from Cornell University in New York in 2019. He is now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University in California. Raghavan lives in California’s Bay Area and graduated with a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania in 2019. Excerpts from an interview with Natarajan and Raghavan about the application process and their educational experiences. Why did you choose to attend a U.S. university? Natarajan: For my doctoral program, I prioritized seeking out opportunities that aligned with my interest in bacterial genetics.
Of the programs I applied to, the microbiology program at Cornell University offered three fantastic research groups that were pursuing projects of interest to me. Additionally, the faculty leading these groups engaged in thoughtful conversations with me by email and video chat regarding my interest and discussed potential projects I could work on. For my postdoctoral training, I exclusively applied to programs in the United States since I felt comfortable in the American academic system. Raghavan: Since my childhood, I wanted to pursue a career that combines art and technology. After exploring a lot of avenues, I decided to focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies and computer graphics studies. Several top universities that excel in graphics research and futuristic visual computing technologies are located in the United States. Moreover, as a hub for the entertainment industry, there were a lot of industry-standard collaborations with wellknown organizations and companies, which would offer me hands-on experience while connecting with experts in the field. What was the application process like? Natarajan: For my doctoral program, the application process was very involved and tedious. But being thorough helped me make informed decisions. First, I worked on my statement of purpose for a couple of months. My essay went through several rounds of edits, with inputs from my parents, friends and mentors. Next, I worked on creating
Photographs courtesy Aravind Natarajan
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Cutting-edge programs, cross-cultural exposure and networking opportunities at U.S. universities help students set the stage for a global career.
Above right and right: Aravind Natarajan received his doctoral degree from Cornell University in New York in 2019. He is now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University in California. To share articles go to https://spanmag.com EDITION 2 2022 17
