I have several years of industry experience either by working indirectly in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields or by directly holding academic and professional positions within these fields. I have worked in academia, public and private sectors. As with everything in our society, we interact with people of different personalities, opinions, etc. I believe these differences could leads to conflicts. Then those conflicts can then lead to unproductive learning and working environments. This is why we need to understand each other.
Category Archives: Opinion
Personal and professional opinions that are not meant to offend anyone but promote outside the box critical thinking.
Discrimination in Canada
The sexism, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia are not just terms we used to describe what is right from what is wrong. These terms have far-reaching implications for millions of people around the world. Canada is just doing what any other nation would do; protect its reputation at all costs even when our backyard is burning. Discrimination in Canada is more subtle and the majority of Canadians are in denial.
Certificate and the Ring
It is March already and graduating students from Engineering and Geoscience programs in several provinces across Canada are excited to receive their professional certificates and the infamous rings. Future Engineers get their Iron Rings and the future Geologists and Geophysicists get their Earth Rings1.
Discrimination is well practiced in Asia and Middle East
When we talk about discrimination, it is always the Europeans who are often blamed for the problem. This is well demonstrated in majority of Western newspapers and publications. Often these Western papers portray racism as a problem for the non-Whites created by the Whites. The popular media completely ignore the hardships South Asian and African people face on other parts of the world, which includes their own people. While I am not denying that racism, xenophobia, sexism and discrimination exists in Europe and North America, I would like highlight that these problems are not limited to the Western world. From my own personal experience, I can say with confidence that I have faced racism from Canadians of South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Eastern European decent than the Canadian born Canadian citizens. Even my first experience of racism in Canada is actually by an India born Canadian citizen not a Canadian himself.
Continue reading Discrimination is well practiced in Asia and Middle East
Mindfulness without the core values
After scientific research proved mindfulness meditation and physiological treatments derived from ancient Buddhist traditions work better than chemical-based medications1,2,3, mindfulness techniques have been growing in popularity in the Western world. The companies like Google Inc. have hired specialist to train their staff on mindfulness. American (USA) prisons officials have used it to control and reduce violence among inmates. Several pre-postsecondary schools have used it to help teens cope with stress and anger. But the teaching of mindfulness has been clouded due to extensive modifications to the practice. From few years from now, the mindfulness techniques used in North America and Europe may not even be as effective as the original version derived from Buddhism.