Interviewed by Habibah Rahman (Creative Intern, MarCom)
Meet Arshiyan Tarique, a rising sophomore and Computer Engineering major at Habib University, spending his summer working as a part of Habib’s Summer Tehqiq Research Program (STRP-I) under the mentorship of Dr. Farhan Khan.
Arshiyan’s STRP Project
STRP-I is a jointly administered program from the Office of Research and Graduate School Curation Program at Habib University which focuses on providing the students with an intensively curated research experience.
Arshiyan gained an interest in STRP-I while he was studying Digital Logic and Design with Dr. Farhan Khan (Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program) who sparked his curiosity in research. Now, he is working on researching how to make computer networks more reliable by using backup controllers in Software-Defined Networking (SDN). By building a simulator in Python, it tests how the network can quickly recover if something goes wrong, like a system crash, so everything keeps running smoothly. In short, it is a system that helps big companies run their softwares efficiently to enhance user experience.
Arshiyan’s STRP Experience
A typical day on-site for Arshiyan begins with a call to his STRP-I student partner, Abbas, who he is working with throughout the project. It is followed by coding sessions on the lab bean bags and brainstorming problems across the various campus spaces at Habib University, including the cafeteria and even the gym! On some days, they go on field visits organized by Graduate School Curation Program (GSCP), e.g. recently all STRP students were provided with a fully-funded trip to TDF Magnifiscience where they had a healthy dose of fun on top of their learning.
Arshiyan has also picked up several new skills on his STRP-I journey that will help him in the future. For example, a key requirement for his research was learning Object Oriented Programming (OOP) which is typically taught in the third semester but he has already gained in-depth insight in. His mentor, Dr. Farhan also taught him ULM diagrams and brainstorming, which further developed his problem-solving skillset.
Mentorship Impact and Advice for Future Applicants
Talking about Dr. Farhan, Arshiyan has been incredibly grateful to learn under him. During my interview with him, he stated: ‘Sir Farhan was the reason I took STRP-I actually, I studied DLD with him and admired him, he was very approachable…not just about the project and studies but also soft skills, guidance about our engineering careers and anything we asked.’
To the students who are thinking about applying to STRP-I, Arshiyan advises showing up early and applying; not just stating interest but going beyond that to actually reach out to the professor and having a conversation about your interest.
For Arshiyan, it is not as complicated as you might think, all you need to do is have the courage to step out of your comfort zone and take the risk of being bored to find a passion you never knew about before!
Discover STRP-I: Explore how Habib University’s Summer Tehqiq Research Program empowers students to turn curiosity into impactful research
