Balancing culture, identity, and STEM

As an international student at Birmingham, I have found it has been more than just a matter of getting used to a different academic environment. As an Indian student of Civil Engineering, it has been about learning how all of this - my culture, identity, and STEM aspirations - come together.

Civil engineering is often seen as a technical field that is based on designs and calculations. This is true, but I have also learned that it is very personal. Structures around us, like bridges, buildings, roads, and transport infrastructure, are not only just physical, but they also have a profound impact on how people live, travel, communicate, and connect.

Growing up in India has shaped my perspective on engineering. India has a diversity of built forms, from ancient temples and traditional buildings to contemporary metro systems, fly overs, and burgeoning cities. Growing up in this blend of culture and technology taught me that infrastructure is not just about the technical aspects, but also the culture, community, and identity.

Living in the UK was thrilling, but it also highlighted some of the smaller aspects that made me connect to my family and culture. The food, the language, the festivals, the traditions, even the conversations I had with my family, seemed more important. They reminded me of my roots, especially on those days when university felt like too much. At the Birmingham, I have felt more confident in my identity because a multicultural community has surrounded me.

The secular feeling within people in both India and the UK made me feel like I never left home. I have learned about different cultures and have been encouraged to talk about my own culture.

This has been enriching for me, as I have not felt the need to abandon my culture to assimilate.

My identity influences the way I think, the questions I ask, and the issues I care about, and so I am particularly sensitive to issues of urbanisation, transport, water supply, sustainability, and affordable infrastructure. My course has unlocked multiple opportunities to consider engineering from multiple angles. I find myself relating problems faced in one country to those in another and considering how to apply solutions across different communities. This has taught me the importance of diversity in STEM.

Solutions for engineering problems should be valid, feasible, affordable, and culturally relevant. The conversations with my fellow international students in my class made me understand more and more about the way I need to craft an engineering solution. We all come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives, which can lead to better ideas.

I have found that being an Indian studying STEM in an international environment has been a strength. It has helped me gain new insight and recognise the value of my experiences.

It can be a challenge to balance culture, identity, and STEM. Sometimes the focus is on study, or sometimes being away from home can be hard, particularly during festivals and family events.

But I have also learned that balance can be found in small things: talking to my family, sharing festivals with friends, and connecting with my cultural and academic communities.

The student societies at Birmingham served as a platform to learn more about different cultures, which unlocked many new perspectives on certain situations or issues. For me, culture provides a sense of belonging, identity provides confidence, and STEM provides the skills to make change. These elements of my identity do not conflict, but make me the kind of student and engineer I want to be.

Civil Engineering is about building for people. Knowing about different communities makes this all the more important. I hope to use my engineering knowledge and experiences to help build sustainable, inclusive, and meaningful infrastructure as I progress through Birmingham.

Culture, identity, and STEM have taught me that engineering has always been about more than problem-solving. It's also about understanding people, embracing different viewpoints, and drawing strength from your own experiences.