This year I had the opportunity and good fortune to get to know Sunil Pandey who came to the United States from Nepal, a country of Asia lying along the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountain ranges. The country is a landlocked country located between India to the East, South, and West and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the North.

Sunil is a PhD candidate at George Mason University in Manassas, Virginia. His educational focus is Microbiology & Infectious Disease. Sunil’s about statement on LinkedIn reflects his story well as told below.

Microbiologist, Ph.D. candidate: career comprised of continuous academic distinction and recognition for performance excellence; expert in GMP production, process development, scale‐up, and improvements to commercial GMP processes; skilled in resolving complex issues where analysis of situations and data requires an in‐depth analysis of process data acquired from multiple sources; experienced in various USP testing and reporting; consummate technical writer, facility operations, and internal process leader in establishing metrics and making recommendations to management team; practiced in training and mentoring superior teams that consistently produce successful results; accomplished in fostering lasting, trusting relationships with high‐performing, cross‐ functional teams; proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Laboratory Information management systems (LIMS); adept in managing multiple projects in fast‐paced, dynamic biopharma environments.

I told Sunil that I was adding a section on my website devoted to Guest Posts and asked him to write an article for it. He suggested I ask him some questions about areas of interest to me instead. Below find some of the information that I learned from doing this.

Interview Questions Asked

I am impressed by how many international students come to the US for advanced degrees. Do you think that trend will continue to increase?

Yes.  I think the trend will continue to increase in the coming years too because of the education system and growing interest in international educational exchange among the U. S students.

You have a large network of international student contacts. (Not to divulge too much but it is 4 figures) Is that something most international students develop when they come?

I would say the most student wants to grow their network.  It helps to take advantage of many opportunities to meet people and to build personal and professional development. And of course sometimes socializing leads to some potential jobs.

Your LinkedIn profile shows an interest in infectious disease. With your PhD program do you think the program itself will lean more to infectious diseases now that the pandemic has come?

Yes. My primary interest is in microbiology and infectious disease. Knowledge, behaviors, diagnosis, and treatment are the key things that ensure the health and safety of individuals. Infectious diseases like mumps, Tuberculosis (TB), influenza is relatively common and now the world is battling with the coronavirus. It clearly emphasizes the importance of research in infectious disease and I thought to contribute my time in infectious disease research.

Sunil are you the exception or the rule compared to other international students when you consider your very large social media following?

This is the technology era and I would like to stay updated with everything as possible and these days social media is helping me a lot. I desire a community, no one likes to be alone and social media helping a lot when you are away from your family and relatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it taught us many communities exist online. By using social media we have the ability to get connected even when we are not physically together.

Thank you for reading my recent book. Work Matter: Insights and strategies for job seekers in this Rapidly Changing Economy. The focus of the book was to recognize the changes that automation and especially the pandemic have brought, but then also focus on the basic's in finding a job. Are books like these common in your home country, Nepal.

5. I have not read this type of book before but thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your book. This book and information is very helpful in job searching in this challenging time, especially where many businesses are closed, and the companies have started laying off many workers. It clearly gives the idea of how we can implement our time in a job search during a difficult time.

I wrote an article in the Pandemic News section of my website titled “Don't let the Pandemic effect the growth of International Students coming to the United States”. Is says: “An article in WENR World Education News + Reviews asks the question: “Was It Worth It? The article also asked International Student Views on the value of their U.S. Education”. The student’s perception of their U.S. education experience was: “The overwhelming majority of international alumni indicated that their U.S. degree was a good investment, partly because of high returns both socially and culturally.”

When I read the entire article I was impressed by how fortunate we are in the United States to have as many international students as we do. If they are as sharp as Sunil is I would lie to meet them all.