Philosophy of engagement

Ten things that make me feel alive:

1. Empathy
   • The ability to understand what someone is experiencing or going through makes you realize how you can relate to other humans in their state of emotion. The ability to severely punish someone is considered inhumane because it is an instinct to empathize with what the other person is feeling and try to improve their state if it’s bad.
2. Freedom of thought expression
   • The ability to express my ideas, whether it is through the spoken or written word, is a fundamental right everyone should possess and take advantage of. It is part of exercising our intellectual prowess.
3. Contribution
   • One’s legacy, what you leave behind. Knowing what will live on after you die, as a part of you, ironically makes you feel alive.
4. Improvement
   • Learning from my and others’ past mistakes to learn from them, employ this experience in my decision making, and not repeat them.
5. Love
   • Feeling loved by a partner or friend is something that elevates your sense of life, belonging, and purpose.
6. Critical thinking and analysis
   • Thinking exercises the main reason we outsmarted our ancestors. Solving problems using unique and unorthodox solutions is why the agricultural, industrial, and technological revolutions have started and ended with fruitful legacies, mostly.
7. Gatherings

• Socializing with people and sharing experiences helps me empathize. Staying around people, in general, keeps one sane.

8. Adrenaline rushes

• Getting that feeling of emotions being pumped inside of you constantly reminds me that I am alive.

9. Religion
   • Practicing my religion keeps my soul in a state of peace and fulfillment.
10. Discipline
    • Being able to control myself (not just act on my instincts) and organize my time is exclusively human ability.

2. Articulate your philosophy of engagement as it pertains to your work with the GSIF / LVSIF.

I think everyone should engage and contribute to our work towards a shared goal. I should engage and contribute to my GSIF project as zealously as everyone in my team does. Not everyone in the team is able to contribute to the project equally; however, everyone should try their best to do so. In our smart cities project, I can contribute, as a computer engineer, with my elementary knowledge in computer systems and designs. As a minority, I can contribute to ensure our technology doesn’t create segregation. I should engage because this project will eventually help improve the living situation of people in Almaty, and potentially other places, it will enhance my teamwork skills and writing ability, and give me an opportunity early in my life to make a change. These reasons are ultimately why I decided to engage in this program.

Engagement has to be meaningful to ensure we don’t waste our time and energy, we have to collaborate with natives to solve meaningful problems. This collaboration should be with students in the area, as well as general locals. Students would help us understand the situation and create attempts to solve the problems. Locals will serve as focus groups to test our solutions and make sure they’re useful and practical. I also have to collaborate with my team members. Understanding each other’s schedules and shortcomings will help set realistic goals and workloads. Familiarizing ourselves with how we think is also crucial to achieving our goals efficiently.

There will be many challenges to get to our goals, and they all should be considered at the correct time. It would be foolish to consider to work on governmental approval without a working prototype, thus energy should be intelligently spent on the right aspects in the project in the right time. Financial opportunities should be grasped because you never know just how much money Lehigh can give you. Opportunities to grow and expand should be taken at the correct time, otherwise, energy will be wasted. Problems should be approached from a cultural, technological, and legislative point of view. Our solutions have to fit in the culture, have to be achievable through affordable modern technology, practical, and legal.

I don’t know what my epitaph will read, but I would want it my legacy to be change at the largest scale I can achieve. Personal gain is obviously one of my main goals, but offering the opportunity for people to work, study, or live has a moral satisfaction that cannot be described in words. I want my epitaph to solely mention my impact on the underprivileged, then my community (including family).

Bishoy Youhana