“Coming to MIU for a master’s in computer science is one of the best, most strategic, and turning-point decisions in my career.”
MD Fakrul Islam is not a typical Computer Science Master’s degree student at MIU. Most of our MSCS students enroll with 1-5 years of professional IT experience. After graduating from SUST in Bangladesh in 2004, Fakrul had 16 years of IoT (Internet of Things) and AI experience in the telecommunication, agriculture, and healthcare industries.
But, he wanted more for his career. When a friend told him about our unique Computer Professionals ProgramSM (ComProSM) which offers an MS in Computer Science with paid practicum for experienced software developers, he applied here.
Fakrul enrolled at MIU in October 2021. After only eight months of courses, followed by our three-week Career Strategies Workshop, he applied for his CPT practicum, got accepted, and began a high-level Tech Lead position doing IoT and Business Integration at the Whirlpool Corporation.
Fakrul is doing his paid practicum at the Whirlpool Corporation as a Tech Lead.
The Whirlpool Corporation is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, headquartered in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, United States. This Fortune 500 company has annual revenue of approximately $21 billion, 78,000 employees, and more than 70 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets its namesake flagship brand Whirlpool, alongside other brands: including Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir, Amana, Gladiator GarageWorks, Inglis, Estate, Brastemp, Bauknecht, Hotpoint, Ignis, Indesit, and Consul.
“My responsibility is cross-functional to work closely with the product team, business team, and technical team. I lead onsite and offsite developers/engineers to deliver the right product in the right way,” says Fakrul.
Fakrul with colleagues at a party at the Whirlpool Global Headquarters in Michigan.
Fakrul summarizes his experiences at MIU, “Taking admission to MIU for a master’s in computer science is one of the best, most strategic, and turning-point decisions in my career. The faculty, staff, food, accommodation, transcendental meditation, norms, principals, values, as well as the welcoming environment at MIU are different from traditional U.S. universities. Now I find the core values and the science and technology of consciousness in my daily life. This is the right place to concentrate on your studies and creative work.”
Fakrul and classmates relaxing at the park near the MIU campus.
Fakrul is now completing the rest of his classes via distance education. His career goal is to work at the Director or VP level in top IT companies. Personally, he plans to be a good husband, father, and contributor to our society. He feels that the U.S. is a great country of knowledge and expertise, so a perfect place to study and learn the next level of programming. “If anyone has good skills in IT/SW development, they should come to MIU to explore world-class opportunities,” he concludes.
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/MD-Fakrul-Portrait.jpg347268Dileep Krishnamoorthyhttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngDileep Krishnamoorthy2022-12-01 12:41:042022-12-01 12:41:04MD Fakrul Islam: Corporate Tech Lead
Bijay Shrestha started his career in Nepal in computer networking and IT security, and decided to become a software developer.
MIU student Bijay Shrestha grew up in Bhaktapur, Nepal, and became interested in computers as a child. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer networking and IT security from London Metropolitan University in Nepal, and decided he wanted to become a software developer.
He got a job with F1Soft International, where he worked for over seven years, creating applications for the financial sector and working his way up to assistant engineering manager.
Bijay had a strong desire to gain international experience, and was looking for scholarships abroad when he heard about MIU from a colleague. He liked the practical approach of MIU’s ComProSM Program and the low upfront cost–so he applied.
“MIU was the best thing that happened for my career,” said Bijay. He found his coursework challenging, and realized early on that he needed to utilize MIU’s daily routine and the Transcendental Meditation® technique in order to manage his heavy academic load.
“TM added a lot of value to my quality of life,” he said. “It helped me manage my stress, and process all the new information I was learning.” Bijay strived to perform well in his classes, and even acted as a graduate student assistant for a couple of his MIU courses. He has excelled in earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the program.
Bijay is doing his paid practicum at the Bank of America as an Applications Architect V.
Bijay began receiving practicum interview requests from companies on LinkedIn even before he finished his last course—career development strategies. After a series of interviews with several companies, he accepted an offer from the Bank of America in North Carolina, as an Applications Architect V. He wanted to experience the American work culture in an industry he is familiar with, and work toward his goal of developing scalable and efficient applications.
Bijay and classmates from Nepal relaxing at the nearby Waterworks Park.
Bijay is now completing the rest of his classes via distance education and wants to become a chief solutions architect. He strongly encourages IT professionals worldwide to follow his example by enrolling in the Computer Professionals ProgramSM at MIU.
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/Bijay-alone-at-Christmas-edited.jpg16931920Dileep Krishnamoorthyhttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngDileep Krishnamoorthy2022-11-17 12:33:012022-11-17 12:33:01Bijay Shrestha: Realizing His IT and Personal Potential
Vinh is happy doing his practicum remotely while living near MIU in Fairfield, Iowa.
Born into a farming family in western Vietnam, Quoc Vinh Pham never even heard about computer science until college. As a senior BS student at Ho Chi Minh University of Agriculture and Forestry (2008-2012), he started loving software development, because he figured out that he could build useful applications and websites to benefit others, and this gave him much joy.
Work history
Vinh Pham has 9 years of hands-on experience involving agile software development practices. For 8 years he did Java programming for multinational product companies from Europe and America before coming to MIU.
He was a co-founder and CTO of a fast-paced startup that provided SAAS (with $9 million VC funding), and has also been a Principal Software Engineer at Alibaba.
MIU
Vinh first learned about the Computer Professionals Master’s Program (ComPro) when we reached out to him via Linkedin in 2015. Since then, he heard more about MIU from friends and colleagues in Vietnam.
In early 2020, he applied for the November 2020 entry into our Master of Science program and planned to study Big Data and Machine Learning (ML). His idea was to apply Machine Learning to part of a new startup idea.
In the Machine Learning course, taught by Professor Emdad Khan, Vinh realized that fundamental theoretical and practical ML applications could help him do advanced research. Vinh and a classmate decided to take on a new topic for their course project. They chose to research Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), which are algorithmic architectures that use two neural networks, pitting one against the other (thus the “adversarial”) in order to generate new, synthetic instances of data that can pass for real data. GANs are widely used in image generation, video generation, and voice generation.
In May 2022, at the request of Prof. Khan, Vinh and Jialei Zhang presented a technical webinar entitled, “Image and Video Synthesis using GAN & Deep Learning.” See their detailed presentation in the following video:
Currently, Vinh is working as a Product Engineer at CVS Health via Creospan (a technology consultancy) doing his optional practical training (OPT) practicum, where he is building a payment calculation system.
TM
All the students, faculty, and MIU staff regularly practice the Transcendental Meditation® technique (TM). Vinh adds, “I enjoy doing TM—especially when I am stressed or under pressure. Doing TM during studying at MIU makes it easy to focus deeply on a topic. My brain seems to self-refresh when I practice twice each day. It also helps me gain more energy and productivity at work.”
Vinh’s family loves the fresh and peaceful environment in Fairfield.
“My wife and 4-year-old daughter came here a year ago, and we continue to enjoy the beautiful and peaceful life in Fairfield because I am now working remotely from here. We love walking along the Fairfield trail system and parks to enjoy the fresh air, discover wild edible plants, and go fishing. We also have a small vegetable garden in warmer weather,” explains Vinh.
Future Goals
When he first came to MIU, Vinh did some market research and could see the potential for a startup in Fairfield. He would like to create a new business in the US based on this research or a different idea in the future.
Advice
Based on his own experience, Vinh advises the following path for software developers to follow:
Finish your undergraduate degree.
Work in industry for 3-5 years.
Pursue a master’s degree. This is a good time to compare, evaluate, and confirm the practical versus advanced theoretical knowledge to yourself. “I had a lot of ‘Ah-ha’ moments during studying at MIU.”
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/family-jefferson-country-park-trail.jpg21451920Dileep Krishnamoorthyhttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngDileep Krishnamoorthy2022-06-16 11:35:282022-06-16 11:35:28Quoc Vinh Pham: Enjoys Machine Learning and Family Life at MIU
Shagai Nyamdorj is taking what he learned in MIU’s ComPro MSCS program, and giving back to his home country of Mongolia by teaching middle and high school students the skills they need to kickstart a future career in IT.
“For the last three years, we have built our Nest Academy. Now we have more than one hundred kids learning coding and UX design,” says Shagai. “Our mission is to coach 10K young talents to become world class software engineers. Once we have perfected the plan and the setup, we hope to expand to other countries as well.”
By 2022, Nest Academy’s partner company, Nest Solutions, will start matching these talented young developers from Mongolia with startup companies in the U.S. and other nations to create the team necessary for a startup to thrive and grow into a well-established success. First they will focus on startups in Mongolia, and then expand operations to include projects in the U.S., Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia.
Shagai knows well from personal experience that good ideas alone are not enough to make a startup into a successful company:
“It’s vital to have a good team and good leadership–it’s very obvious that all the tech giants open their offices in big cities with good talent pools. And with most of the successful companies, there is a good team with more than 100 engineers with good leadership that can turn any simple idea into a successful venture,” Shagai points out.
Young Nest Academy students busy learning Javascript
When Shagai first applied for the ComPro program in 2011, he submitted an essay with his application that said, “My main goal for increasing my knowledge base is to make a difference in the lives of others.”
This is a goal he still holds to this day.
“I want to teach our young generation to improve their lives, pursue their dreams and make a difference in our country and the world,” says Shagai.
He has found his education at MIU to be the perfect bridge to achieving this goal.
The full time, paid Curricular Practical Training aspect of the ComPro program has been especially valuable for Shagai, because it allowed him to gain real-world experience with a U.S. company while continuing to take computer science classes via distance education.
After completing his on-campus studies, Shagai was hired for an internship at well-known financial services company Shazam, and later worked as a senior software engineer at Amazon before starting his own company.
Mongolian design students focusing on Accessibility Standards
How did he hear about the ComPro program?
“In 2010, I was fortunate that I had a chance to work with top talents in Mongolia, and one of my co-workers decided to apply to MIU. For me it was a great chance to challenge myself to pursue my MSCS in the United States as well. I had never seen such a good program in the U.S. I had researched similar programs, but realized MIU is far more valuable compared to other programs,” Shagai says.
In October 2011, he left his friends, family and career in Mongolia, and set off for America. He arrived on the campus of MIU, a few hours’ drive from Chicago, to find a very welcoming environment:
“The MIU campus and town of Fairfield, Iowa is such a pleasant and convenient place, and everyone at the school and in the community are so friendly,” he says.
Transcendental Meditation
Shagai quickly settled into his new routine at MIU, which included regular practice of the benefit-rich Transcendental Meditation® technique (TM). TM is the cornerstone of the Consciousness-based education at MIU, where all students practice TM as part of the curriculum.
It soon became clear to Shagai that TM was having a positive effect:
“TM improves my sleep quality and makes me calmer in stressful situations. I think it also helps us become more joyful and happy,” he says.
“Our mission is to coach 10K young talents to become world class software engineers.”
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/1_IMG_2895_Original-Edit-1-e1605817728278.jpg487450Dileep Krishnamoorthyhttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngDileep Krishnamoorthy2020-11-19 13:23:152021-02-01 23:36:45Promising young Mongolian programmers will soon have unique opportunities in America and elsewhere
Yingwu Zhong Received MIU Doctorate in Shanghai, China
One of the highlights of the 2020 MIU graduation ceremony on-campus in Fairfield, Iowa, was the awarding of the honorary “Doctor of Computer Science—Honoris Causa” degree (via Zoom) to 2010 Computer Professionals Program graduate, Yingwu (Andy) Zhong in China.
Soon after completing his MS in computer science, Andy (CEO) and co-founder Yitao Guan (CTO) started their own game business, FunPlus in San Francisco. Within a few short years, FunPlus has become one of the most significant companies in the entire global gaming industry, generating $1 billion in revenue.
According to Dr. Zhong, “2020 is the 10th anniversary of FunPlus. Our office moved five times to increase capacity and co-workers are collaborating from offices and homes from 20 countries. Millions of players worldwide enjoy games like Family Farm, Family Farm Seaside, Guns of Glory, King of Avalon, State of Survival, to name a few. And even more watch esports team FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) (2019 League of Legends World Champions!) playing against other world leading teams.”
FunPlus is a major supporter of international esports team gaming competition. In 2019, team FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) won the League of Legends World Championship.
Quotes from Doctoral Diploma
“MIU has honored Yingwu for his dedication to creating joy and fun in the world. His steady focus and perseverance in bringing challenging and wholesome entertainment to more than 5 million people is noble and inspiring.
“In his company, people are the priority. He cultures employees to be successful in activity while enlivening the inner core, where dreams begin.
“Surely, the root of Dr. Zhong’s powerful influence lies in his inner being. His success reflects something special emanating from his heart. His influence has been and will continue to be great, and for the greater good.
“He is respected as a visionary, a resilient leader, a practical scientist, and as a joyful and reliable human being. MIU honors him for his commitment to be the best at what he does.
“As his “Mother University,” MIU thanks Yingwu Zhong for his superior choices, high goals, kindness and friendliness, his outreach to all humanity, and innate goodness. Yingwu Zhong is among the best sons and daughters of our University.”
It is a great joy to award this highest honor to Dr. Yingwu Zhong:
Doctor of Computer Science—Honoris Causa presented to Yingwu Zhong
“Arriving at MIU in 2007 was the beginning of a new adventure. I started eating organic vegetables… Practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) healed my body and soul, and with time passing by, I have experienced and have a deeper understanding of how profoundly the impact of MIU experience has shaped my life.
“TM is a very powerful tool, and gradually became a part of myself as I practiced more. It helped me stay focused and live in the present. It also gave me the ability and energy to inquire deeply and guide my curiosity to explore.”
“People call me a visionary leader, and I know it is the philosophy of living in the present and following the purity of heart that has fulfilled me with great optimism, resilience and grace.”
FunPlus CEO is passionate to create one of the top three interactive entertainment companies in the world.
Advice to MIU 2020 graduates
Yingwu Zhong shares his wisdom and inner experiences for successful living:
Please stick to your dreams. Hold them tight, and fight hard.
Live in the present. Only focus on most important things, because most of the things bothering you right now, will not be as important in one day, one week, one month, one year.
Talent comes a long way, but perseverance brings long-term results.
Embrace uncertainty and nourish a growth mindset. It’s really OK not to have all the answers and screw up things at times, as long as you recover quickly.
Practice meditation and do morning prayer. The internal source of intelligence is far more powerful than external drive or ego when facing challenges.
Eat well, eat healthy, be kind, be generous. Have empathy for human beings, earth and the world, the universe. Build resilient communities. If the world is going to get better, it is because of you.
MIU’s Vice President of Asia Expansion, Yunxiang Zhu says, “Zhong Yingwu is respected as a great visionary, a resilient leader, and a practical scientist who brings fun and happiness to millions of people all over the world. We are extremely proud of him and his honorary doctorate degree is very well deserved.”
Ling Sun (“Susie”) has a wonderful story to tell. She was born on a small farm in rural China. Today, she is a Google software engineer in New York City. How did she do it?
Early life in China
Girls in Ling’s community in Hunan Province, central China, never go to high school, and are expected to help farm and then have their own families. In fact, she had to leave school at age 13 to work in the family’s fields to help with family financial needs.
But farm work was hard and made Ling unhappy, so she kept asking her father, and he finally agreed to let her return to school. Among her 11 village friends, Ling Sun was the only one to finish high school.
But this education didn’t allow her to enter college, so she became a factory worker in Shenzhen. The work routine was boring, so she quit the factory after a few months and became a student in a computer training program, hoping this would give her the skills for a more professional life.
To pay for the training to become an entry-level software engineer, she worked three part-time jobs and lived on three credit cards.
Ling Sun with family members in rural Hunan Province village.
In September 2011, Ling got her first software engineering job developing an online payroll system in Shenzhen. This was great for a while, but she still wanted to feel more accomplished in a big city where others had more advanced knowledge and credentials.
In a recent interview, Ling told the South China Morning Post that her basic motivation has always been to “Just keep learning new things step-by-step, day-by-day.” So, while continuing the job, she studied English and enrolled in a distance education degree program with Shenzhen University. Being athletic with lots of energy, she also began playing ultimate frisbee as a way to get exercise and learn English from others with more worldly international experience.
A great opportunity in America
The exposure to people with international backgrounds stimulated Ling with the desire to see more of the world. While viewing a Chinese job-hunting website in 2016, she noticed an ad for a U.S. computer science master’s degree program that looked perfect to her: low initial cost, with the ability to get a paid professional internship as part of an accredited academic degree program. During the internship in a U.S. company studies would continue via distance education.
Ling applied and was accepted into our Computer Professionals Master’s Program at Maharishi University of Management, located about 230 miles southwest of Chicago. After nine months studying on campus, including the valuable Career Strategies Workshop and numerous interviews, Sun was offered a position as a Software Engineer with a Google vendor, EPAM Systems.
Here’s Ling Sun after arriving at MUM in October 2017.
Paid professional internship at Google
As a contract software engineer at Google’s Manhattan headquarters, Ling feels fortunate to have colleagues from top American universities—some with Ph.D. degrees. “But none of them treat me like I don’t deserve all of this,”she said in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post. “That is the thing I like about America: they value what you are able to do more than where you come from.”
MUM experience
Regarding the time spent at MUM, she appreciates the special academic environment, the diversity of the student and faculty population, and the many friends made here. She adds, “I liked every moment spent (at MUM) in Fairfield.”
Her adviser, Professor Mei Li, says,”Susie was always very positive and enthusiastic about all her activities. She was a good student, a friend to everyone, and exceptionally talented in many areas, including sports.”
Ling Sun with ultimate frisbee friend.
Future plans
After completing her master’s degree in December 2019, Ling hopes her parents will come to visit America and see her graduate on our campus. This would be the first time for her mother to leave their hometown in China!
Ling Sun’s next professional goal is to become an in-house Google software engineer. She says that, “It won’t be easy, but your life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
To read more about Ling Sun’s remarkable life, please read this article in the South China Morning Post.
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/Sun-Ling-at-Google-from-Sun-Ling.png8001200cre8orhttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngcre8or2019-08-06 21:09:152019-12-29 21:45:52Google Software Engineer Grew Up on a Rural China Farm
When Bereket Babiso was working as a software developer in France, he first learned about our Computer Professionals Master’s Degree Program (ComPro). He applied, was accepted, and enrolled in January 2018.
Bereket was pleased to find that MUM has a multicultural environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone has the opportunity to get to know the cultures of others from all corners of the world.
He enjoyed the course structure, content, and the way courses are delivered. He found the content to be based upon current cutting edge market technologies.
One unique feature of our program is that students practice the Transcendental Meditation® technique. Bereket found that doing TM is very beneficial for computer professionals—it helps you deal with frustrations that come from challenging projects, and allows relief from stress—providing improved focus in any situation.
Paid internship After completing eight months of on-campus courses, Bereket succeeded in finding a paid professional internship as a software developer with the Ford Motor Company in Michigan.
Bereket advises any experienced professionals wanting to learn advanced computer technologies to apply to our MS in Computer Science at MUM.
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/Bereket-1.jpg10801920cre8orhttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngcre8or2019-01-03 22:35:092019-01-03 22:47:44Bereket Babiso: ComPro education at MUM is the best
In professional sports, top performing first-year athletes receive a lot of public attention. In the IT industry, Amazon has a top “rookie” performer in Amarbayar (Amar) Amarsanaa.
In his first year working for Amazon Fulfillment Technologies DevOps (Development Operations) team, Amar was named “Associate of the Month” in recognition of his contribution to, and impact on one of the Software Development Engineer (SDE) teams he was supporting when he reduced their operating issues by 86%.He also was promoted to DevOps IV!
According to Amar, “Operational excellence is something my employer takes seriously, as we (Amazon) continue to strive to be the earth’s most customer-centric company. We don’t stop at just innovating, building and launching — but we also make sure our services are optimized, efficient, reliable, available and accurate. In executing these plans, we identify manual, repetitive work and take the initiative to automate it to save our and others’ time.”
Recently, Amar teamed up with another engineer on his team to automate the process of data consolidation, which had been done manually by engineers. This automated process is now used by engineers, SDE teams and managers to drive their teams’ service operational excellence. The automation saves 2-3 hours per engineer, per week, and it is widely used by 12+ teams, and counting. During the October 2016 organization meeting, including teams from the US, Canada and India, Amazon leadership recognized their effort, and awarded Amar and his colleague the honorable, “Operational Excellence” award. Quite an honor for a “rookie!”
International Educational Background
Amar has always enjoyed traveling. He left his native Mongolia at 14 to attend an English-speaking high school in Poland, and later enrolled in a U.S. university where he graduated on the Dean’s List with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. The university President named him Outstanding Student of the Year. During this time he also excelled in playing piano and guitar.
After college, Amar was named Employee of the Year at a software company in North Dakota, and won a photography award. As the following photos illustrate, Amar is a talented and accomplished photographer with a sense of humor!
Later, while studying in a graduate computer networking program in Korea, he learned about the MUM Master’s in Computer Science. Amar was attracted by the curriculum, healthful diet and quality living conditions at MUM.
Academics at MUM
Amar applied to our Computer Professionals (ComPro) Program and began classes at MUM in June 2014, where he also became a resident advisor, and Computer Science representative to the MUM student association.
According to Amar, “The quality of the education offered in the ComPro program is outstanding. Not only do the faculty have remarkable industry backgrounds, but they are always up-to-date on the newest technologies, so that students can be assured they are learning the best from the best.
In addition, team projects bring up a great opportunity for students to collaborate, solve real-world problems, present their solutions to meet extremely high requirements imposed by the professors — and at the end of the day, we come out with solid project experience, which helps in finding internships.”
Life on the MUM Campus
“Academically, the ComPro program sets high standards for its students. To support total student development, MUM provides a very comfortable and healthful living environment, so that students can take on the challenges of academic life when they are at their best. People talk about work-life balance, and I feel that the balance of academic work and life at MUM was perfect… this is what I enjoyed the most about living at MUM.”
Benefits of learning the Transcendental Meditation® Technique
“Another reason I chose MUM was the opportunity of doing the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM). TM is one of the fundamentals on which the university was built. It is a simple mental technique that relieves stress, improves thinking and creativity, and increases your energy level. I have a high respect for it. The biggest benefit of TM for me is that it helps me relax, and then have sharper focus on complex issues, resulting in comprehensive and satisfying solutions without stress,” says Amar.
Internship at Amazon & Life in the Seattle Area
After completing eight months of on-campus courses in Fairfield, Iowa, Amar was hired in 2015 to do his Curricular Practical Training (CPT) internship as a DevOps Engineer with Amazon Fulfillment Technologies in Seattle, Washington. He enjoys living in the Pacific Northwest, where he pursues his passion for natural outdoor environments, working out, photography, music, and social involvement in worthy causes.
Advice for Other Software Engineers
Amar enjoyed his time on our campus: “There are so many advantages at MUM. I feel extremely lucky and privileged to have had the opportunity to be a part of it: Low upfront cost, outstanding academic program, remarkable faculty and staff, opportunity to work with skilled professionals from other countries, a dedicated career strategies class (resume reviews, interview preps, mock-up interviews, job searching techniques), internal job fair network, organic meals, comfortable living environment, sports facilities, events, activities and clubs. And most notably, 99% placement rate for internships!”
“Therefore, I would definitely advise students and working professionals from around the world to take advantage of this great opportunity. Check out the admissions requirements, make sure you meet or exceed the requirements, and apply!
Be prepared to get challenged and be prepared to embrace all the positive outcomes you will get from the ComPro program. Also, for success at MUM and in the US, you need very good English skills!”
Future Plans
“I plan to continue developing myself personally and professionally. In addition to growing at Amazon, I hope to impact the world using technology to solve day-to-day problems that people face, and possibly starting a company with friends and/or business partners.”
“I will also continue participating in the same non-profit areas that I am part of today, to help the next generations of Mongolians achieve their personal and professional goals through coaching and mentoring. ”
Additional Appreciation
“I will be graduating this December. It has been a dynamic and rewarding ride since I became a ComPro student. One of my favorite courses was Advanced Software Development with Dr. Guthrie, because it has helped tremendously in my professional work.”
“I will be forever thankful for everyone I have met during my student life at MUM. I have made some wonderful, life-long friends in the beautiful natural MUM environment, and hope to participate in the commencement next spring to reconnect with my fellow ComPro students, faculty and friends. I will continue upholding the name of MUM and will always be a proud ComPro alumnus!”
Amar would like to thank his parents for their tireless and continuous support in every moment of his life, and for raising him to be who he is today. “Thanks mum and thanks dad!”
Note: Amar works at Amazon and the postings on this page are his own and don’t necessarily represent Amazon’s position.
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/Amarbayar-Amarsanaa..jpg7681366Comprohttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngCompro2016-11-11 18:55:312019-05-31 10:57:39MUM Student Intern Wins Amazon Award
At a time when many Muslims and other minority groups are feeling challenged in the United States, here is a heart-warming story of religious tolerance, respect and acceptance in our university, located in the heartland of America.
After losing his IT job in Egypt in 2014, Mohamed Samy felt the need to begin a new life.
As an experienced software engineer, he knew that coming to the U.S. for a Computer Science master’s degree might provide a valuable education and opportunities to advance his career.
An Unexpected Surprise
In searching the Internet for a relevant U.S. master’s program, Mohamed found a program that looked perfect for his needs–the Computer Professionals Master’s Program at Maharishi University of Management (not far from Chicago in north central U.S.).
[At end of the newsletter, watch Mohamed’s video about his MUM experiences. Already viewed by more than 1,600,000 people on Facebook!]
In reviewing our website, Mohamed saw that everyone in the University practices a simple, scientific technique to reduce stress and increase creativity and intelligence–the Transcendental Meditation® technique(TM). This seemed unusual and intriguing, so Mohamed did some research and learned that there is a center in Cairo where the TM technique is taught.
He attended a free introductory lecture, asked many questions, and learned about the many benefits. He appreciated learning about the compatibility with his Muslim faith, as well as the role of doing TM as part of the MUM curriculum, and decided to take the simple 7-step TM course.
Upon learning Transcendental Meditation, Mohamed was pleasantly surprised to experience some personal benefits that he never expected. After losing his job, he had become tense, worried, and could not sleep well for months. Within a few days of beginning TM, Mohamed felt calmer, more relaxed, clearer in his thinking, more optimistic, and was soon able to sleep well again!
According to Mohamed, “TM has helped me gain a clarity of mind that helps me face the challenges I have in life. I have always had issues with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and taking ADD medication to help me focus, and reduce anxiety. TM helped me reduce the dosage of medication, because I was more settled in my mental state. TM also helped me address the anxiety, and function at a more effective level at work and in my studies.”
With appreciation for the benefits of Transcendental Meditation, Mohamed found the Computer Professionals MS Program at MUM to be even more inviting–low initial cost, extensive financial aid, industry orientation, harmonious and diverse campus community, top faculty, and the opportunity to work in a U.S. company for up to two years with a fully-paid curricular practical training (CPT) internship. Mohamed proceeded to apply for our MSCS program. He was accepted and traveled with his wife Natalie Samir to Fairfield, Iowa to enroll with 106 other students from 18 nations in May 2015.
Life at MUM
As a seasoned software developer with more than 15 years professional experience, Mohamed didn’t expect to learn much more during his eight months of on-campus classes. To his delight, in every class he learned valuable new computer science knowledge from very competent professors (including one with a PhD from MIT).
Mohamed and Natalie felt at home on the beautiful MUM campus in Fairfield, Iowa, where they found people from many diverse cultures and backgrounds all living together in a very warm and welcoming family-like environment. When it came time to apply for internships, they decided to try to find a professional internship right here in Fairfield.
With the help of Jim Garrett, Director of Training and Coaching in our Computer Career Center, Mohamed learned of an opportunity to work for a large investment research company in Fairfield. The company had an opening for a high level, experienced Enterprise Architect. The job and location were so ideal, that Mohamed told the company he would even work for less money than he’d already been offered at a different company in another city. To Mohamed’s surprise, the Fairfield company found him to be such an ideal candidate, that they offered him even more money than the other company.
Religious Tolerance, Respect and Acceptance
Prior to learning the TM technique and coming to MUM, Mohamed was concerned about how comfortable his situation would be with his strong Muslim faith. He quickly realized that there is no contradiction between Transcendental Meditation and Islam. He found that TM is not a religion–there is no worshiping involved. TM is just a technique for experiencing deep rest. There is no concentrating, just experiencing the deepest level of rest. TM has nothing to do with religious practice.
Mohamed has found everyone at MUM to be very respectful of his religious practices. Muslim students have access to a small mosque on campus, and they also feel comfortable doing prayers when other students are sometimes nearby. The students enjoyed their Eid celebrations.
Mohamed adds, “MUM is a place that accepts all people, and teaches people to be accepting of others. I have had a great experience coming here as a Muslim. I have gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of Islam, as well as greater knowledge of universal truths that are found in Islam and all religions.”
Advice to Potential Students
Mohamed explains that, “Maharishi University of Management is a great place to come to build your career. In the process, you gain a deeper perspective about your life, enabling you to make profound changes in yourself that affect everything around you. I advise anyone who wants to start the next step in their career and their life to contact MUM admissions to discover these profound benefits for your own life.”
Special Video by Mohamed
Mohamed is grateful for all the benefits he and Natalie (also practicing TM now) enjoy at Maharishi University of Management. As a way to let others around the world know about TM and MUM, Mohamed has created a special 7-minute video describing his experiences here.
Even though Mohamed speaks excellent English, he chose to record the video in Arabic with English sub-titles, so that people throughout the Arabic-speaking world can appreciate what is available to them. The sub-titles make the video easy to appreciate by non-Arabic speakers.
Mohamed is happy to share his experiences with other software engineers who may want to know more about our Computer Professionals Program. The “ComPro” Program is now in its 20th year, with nearly 2000 graduates from 78 countries.
https://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016_04-02.jpg173300Comprohttps://compro.miu.edu/wp-content/uploads/compro-web-logo-442x112.pngCompro2016-04-23 19:00:532019-05-31 10:56:44Gaining Knowledge, Respect and Acceptance in America
At most universities, when the semester ends, students leave campus to travel and visit friends and relatives. However, last month, 85 graduate computer science students at Maharishi University of Management chose to stay on campus for an additional 7 days to compete in a team software competition called DevFest 2015.
After classes ended in December, Maharishi University of Management held its first hackathon-like Development Festival for generating new engagement tools to promote Maharishi Ayurveda* in the world. The goal of DevFest was to generate software engagement tools of various technology types and formats, while providing the students with an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. The DevFest was a structured 7-day on-campus event, and included activities ranging from education in Maharishi Ayurveda, to generation of interesting project ideas, to team development of solution products, and final presentation for evaluation.
Competition Judges: Dean Greg Guthrie (Computer Science), Professor Paul Morehead (Physiology and Health), and Professor Andy Bargerstock (Management)
85 graduate students in the Computer Science Department split into faculty-mentored teams which created 14 projects, and the top three teams won significant cash prizes. The projects addressed Maharishi Ayurveda from many perspectives: education and diet, herbs and crops, and health situations such as pregnancy and diabetes. Solutions were proposed to meet the needs of the general public as well as wellness consultants, through tools such as interactive websites and Mobile/FaceBook apps.
How were Projects Judged?
The team projects were judged by an eminent panel of three senior faculty judges who reviewed the presentations according to predefined evaluation criteria. The criteria included:
Market attractiveness and business readiness of the project
Innovation and quality of the technical design and development
Quality of connection with Maharishi Ayurveda
Competition Results
The winning team won $1000 for their Ayurvedic Chef web application. $600 was awarded to the AgriVeda team, and the Our Vedic Life team took home $300. Congratulations to the students, organizers and judges for a most enjoyable, educational, and fun-filled experience. See photos from the 7-day competition.
DevFest organizer Dr. Anil Maheshwari was pleased with the results: “We are delighted to have successfully introduced this enjoyable learning experience for the MUM graduate students. They not only learned valuable health-giving knowledge about Maharishi Ayurveda, but also developed new technology-based tools to deliver improved health for our society. Significant prizes provided additional incentives.”
Dean Guthrie notes, “This was a wonderful opportunity for the students to have a very creative and fun experience, integrating so many of the things that they have learned with an entrepreneurial context. The excitement and their happiness in presenting their projects was a joy for all involved!”
Winning Teams
First place: Ayurvedic Chef Project: Ananda Subedi, Riwaj Rimal, Bibek Karki, Regan Rajak, Pradeep Basnet, Dheeraj Pandey. Photo includes 2 faculty.
Second place: AgriVeda Project: Sanjay Paudel, Adam Manandhar, Samir Karki, Surendra Maharjan, Hari K. Chaudhary, Shyamu Neupane. Photo includes 2 faculty.
Third place: Our Vedic Life Project: Shailesh Singh, Shree Raj Karki, Samrat Bhusal, Rikesh Karkee, Yubraj Pokharel, Tara Prasad Adhikari, Dharma Kshetri. Photo includes 2 faculty.
* Maharishi Ayurveda is an ancient system of natural, prevention-oriented Vedic healthcare known to create balance in mind and body by detecting and eliminating underlying causes of disease.
U.S. EMBASSY INTERVIEW WAITING TIMES AND MSCS APPLICATION PROCESSING TIMES
We have found that many countries have very delayed interview dates. Please see Visa Appointment Wait Times (state.gov) to find out the length of time to get an interview date for your country/city.
If the interview waiting time is more than 2 months, we encourage you to apply and complete your application immediately, even if you are planning to apply for a future entry. This way you can complete the application process, get your I-20, and then get an interview date. You must have an I-20 to get the interview date. If the date is earlier than you plan to come to the U.S., you can always postpone your arrival date once you get the visa. We would just issue you a new I-20 for the entry date for which you plan to come.
For questions regarding this information, please contact our admissions office at csadmissions@miu.edu.
Ling Sun with family members in rural Hunan Province village.
Here’s Ling Sun after arriving at MUM in October 2017.
Ling Sun with ultimate frisbee friend.
