On July 4, the SUSI ’23 Scholars headed West. Early in the morning at 7 a.m. the Scholars began their travels to Los Angeles, California. It was a short flight from Phoenix to LA. From the window of the plane,…
Phoenix: Oh, what a time!
I have a confession to make. I struggled quite a bit in putting together this blog post. I struggled, not because I did not have anything to write about. Rather, it was because there were several ideas running through my…
Saying Goodbye to Phoenix: A Hot City with Cool Charms
As the sun sets on our time in Phoenix, today marks the last free day for SUSI scholars to savor the city’s delights. Amidst the hustle and bustle, scholars find themselves occupied with packing their belongings, carefully arranging every item…
“Imagine all the people, sharing all the world…”
There could not have been a better excursion than this for the 2023 SUSI scholars visiting Arizona’s Valley of the Sun, before their departure in three days for Los Angeles. The scholars stood before a harsh political reality on the…
SUSI Scholars: It’s time to present our projects!
We concluded our project today by having every SUSI Scholar member present in a mini-conference in Room 444. The SUSI Scholars were given a maximum of 12 minutes to present their ideas, but it’s fascinating to observe the range of…
Once Upon a Time in the Valley of the Sun…
There was a land known for its sunny weather and desert landmarks. Agriculture and farming were among the initial driving forces for development. They lacked abundant water, but that didn’t stop the Native American population at that time from building…
Voices of Displacement: Narratives, Refugees, and the Role of Journalism
A few days ago, on June 14th, an overloaded ship capsized in the Mediterranean Sea. On the ship were more than 750 refugees. Only 104 refugees could be saved; 78 bodies were found dead. Around 500 people are still missing…
How to Absorb an Experience from ASU and the USA
Day to day, as we are approaching the end of this jam-packed program, we are thinking more and more about questions of how to make our unique opportunity as SUSI Scholars useful for our work and micro society we live…
Cybersecurity: Don’t Be Paranoid (or Maybe You Should Be)
Every day, an incredible amount of data is generated in the digital environment. This data comes from social media posts, commercial transactions, conversations on messaging apps, and all kinds of services available online. Approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are…
From Takeo to Arizona: Discovering Khmer and World Instruments at the Musical Instrument Museum
During our SUSI Scholars visit to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix on Saturday, I had an impressive moment when I spotted a musical instrument from my hometown. The museum houses a vast collection of musical instruments from around…