Fellow Update! Shaping Scholars: Ilyada’s Impactful Fellowship at City University

Our fellow, Ilyada Karada shares her experiences in our site at City University, Bangladesh.

Learn more about Ilyada’s adventures below! If Ilyada’s experience piques your interest in becoming a fellow yourself, apply here!

1^st month

Becoming a Science Corp Fellow

As someone who had never taken a gap year in my 24 years of continuous full-time education and had always yearned to, when I came across the opportunity to become a Science Corps Fellow, I was ecstatic to be accepted at the start of 2023. At the time, I expected to have completed my PhD thesis before heading out to Bangladesh, but like many other students, the writing phase took longer than anticipated. I was still finishing things up when I headed for Bangladesh at the start of September. Upon arriving at City University, I became a member of the Mechanical Engineering Department.

The Rain

Bangladesh is known for experiencing six seasons, and when I first arrived in the country, it was towards the end of their rainy season (Barsa Ritu). As a Brit, rainy days are something I’m very familiar with; however, the wet weather in Bangladesh was a whole different experience. No light drizzles—only torrential downpours. Thunderstorms were very frequent and closer than I had ever experienced. It was incredible to see how the weather conditions, which would be seen as extreme in the UK, completely unfazed the locals. You would see people going about their days as normal, with children playing in the flooded streets.

Singapore

Therefore, it was a momentous occasion when I finally submitted my thesis at the end of my first month in Bangladesh. However, the euphoria was rather short-lived as I found out on the day of my submission that the visa I had arrived with could not be extended and that I would need to leave the country immediately. It wasn’t all bad, though, as I packed my bag and headed to Singapore for a short trip and a new visa. I experienced quite a few visa hurdles and frustrations throughout my time in Bangladesh, which were incredibly humbling and led me to realize how much I take for granted the strength of my passport.

2^nd month

Lecturing

In my second month, I had the privilege of beginning to co-lecture the Metallic Materials Course. This was my first experience lecturing, and it was very exciting. As someone hoping to pursue a career in research and academia, lecturing was something I found very daunting, but the whole experience was very positive, and I look forward to leading courses next semester. I enjoyed being able to teach the theory by relating it to real-world problems. As several of the students were part-time students already working in the engineering industry, they were able to bring their own experiences to the discussions.

Cricket Mania

I was shocked at the extent of their love for the sport as a nation. The national kit can be spotted everywhere, and down narrow streets where you would expect to see kids kicking around a ball, they had a game of cricket going. I was there during the Cricket World Cup, and it was being screened on every television. People stopped to watch the game in shop windows; they gathered around a tiny TV at the gym, and it was even projected across the wall in the mechanical engineering offices.

3^rd month

Lecture Series on Research Work

As I had just submitted my PhD thesis while out there, I was interested to see some of the research that was being carried out at the university. Reading through past theses that had been submitted for the degree of Bachelor of Engineering, I noticed a trend. The research being carried out was great but was let down by the presentation. I began developing a lecture series focusing on critical thinking, which I was able to present in my third month on-site.

The lecture series targeted two groups of students: those who were at the very start of their projects and were required to write a research proposal, and those who were almost at the end and were writing up their work. The size of the lectures ranged from batches of 15 to 40, including young adults and mature students. The students were very engaged and brought up great questions. At the end of the session, many used the Q&A portion to ask about further education, and it was lovely to see how many of them were interested in taking their studies further. Many of the academics in the department attended the lectures, and they will continue to present the series each semester to students once I have departed.

Earthquake Experience

In my third month in Bangladesh, I experienced my first earthquake tremor. It was a small one, and I didn’t understand what was happening until it had passed. It was a very strange experience. The best way I can describe the sensation for those of you from a rather unmoving country, such as myself, is as though a high-speed train is passing by and causing the building to shake, but it goes on for just a little too long, and there is an eerie silence that accompanies it as everyone is trying to piece together what they are feeling.

Empowering Future Leaders:

During her fellowship at City University in Bangladesh, Ilyada Karada made a significant impact by engaging with university students to support their thesis work. Her dedication to fostering academic growth inspired students to dive deeper into their research, cultivating a new generation of leaders in STEM. If you’re interested in the transformative work Science Corps does to empower educators and students around the globe, visit the Science Corps website to learn more. Additionally, if you wish to support our mission to enhance STEM education in underserved communities, consider making a donation here.