What has your career journey looked like?

My Bachelor’s degree was in Engineering. I then ran my own business in corporate communications consultancy for six years. I started off in social media marketing, and then seeing where the industry was going, I focussed more on content marketing and corporate communications.

In 2017 I came to Australia and completed my Master of Communications and Media Studies. While I was doing my masters, I started working as a freelance communications consultant. I still have my full time day job right now, but on the side I’m running Typewriter Media – my own consultancy/blog which is focused on communications and content strategy.

Why did you choose to study an Arts degree after completing an Engineering degree?

There’s a lot of technical knowledge out there, but there are not many people who are able to communicate this information directly to the general public. I always had an inclination  towards communications and design, so I thought I would combine my interest in communications with my understanding of technology.

Why did you choose to pursue this degree at Monash?

I come from a city, a state and a country that has a rich culutral background. When I was researching cities, I looked for those with a strong cultural foundation and are simultaneously good locations for my studies. Melbourne was always up on top. After selecting Melbourne, the Monash decision was not difficult. I researched the degree, I looked at the units being taught, and I found Monash had a great flexibility of units.

In two years of my degree, I took units in journalism, communications, media and cultural and creative industries. Monash had the greatest flexibility when it came to units you can study.

How has your Arts degree complimented your Engineering degree?

Critical and evaluative thinking are the two most important skills I learned in my Arts degree. In my Engineering degree, I was taught to understand the science behind things, the ‘how’ things get done. The critical thinking skills I learned in my Arts degree  helped me ask the ‘why’ and ‘for whom’. Once you start asking those questions, you automatically gain a wider perspective. This helps you understand the future, rather than just working in the present. A STEM degree helps you find the right answers. An Arts degree helps you ask the right questions.

For the world to move forward, we need a mix – people who understand the logical and practical side, and those who understand the reasoning behind it. If you’re one of the individuals who has the capability or interest to bridge that gap, you open yourself up to amazing opportunities. It’s what the world needs.

How have your Arts skills applied to your current job?

I use the skills I learnt from my Arts degree daily at Typewriter Media. When you run your own business, critical thinking and adaptability are easily the two biggest skills you need to keep it going. No two days are the same and you need to be able to respond to any situation.

How are you using the skills gained in your combined degrees to create change?

I’ve been volunteering with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) since my undergraduate degree. It’s an Engineering organisation with around 450,000 members globally. This year, I’m on three of the committees. The Technology and Engineering Management Society is the one focused mostly on my interests. I’m the Global Communications Chair. IEEE has a presence in around 163 countries, so I strategize how to communicate effectively with members in all these different countries. Through Typewriter Media, I offer pro-bono communications consultancy to IEEE and other non-profits.

Two projects I’ve been involved in focus on education in third-world countries. I was involved in the delivery of the program Shastra Vismaya (The Magic of Science) for primary and high school students from rural areas. The question we sought to answer was: How do you communicate the importance of engineering to high school students in third world countries?  We reached out to tribal schools in India and ran programs to get the students interested in engineering and science.

Earlier, I was involved with a similar program for visually challenged students. Until 2016, in my state in India, visually challenged students could not pursue engineering. As a result, we started delivering engineering workshops for visually challenged students, where we would teach them to use touch and feel to get things done. It might be something as simple as building a house from a deck of cards to learn the importance of structural engineering.

I am still involved with bettering the delivery mode and communications around these programs and others with IEEE. The skills I learned in my Arts degree allow me to find ways the program can be better and more efficiently delivered.

Interview by Lilly Walsh, Journalism Intern, Monash Arts, 2020