On this brief "spotlight" episode of Baat Cheet, I talk to Faris, the brand new president of the Carleton University Student's Association about his journey through Carleton and CUSA, how his background motivates him, and his role as the first Desi president of CUSA!

This week I continue my discussion with Dr. Shazia Sadaf. Following from part 1, we talk about how literature has been colonized in the school systems and social institutions. We also discuss the role of English in contemporary Pakistani literature and how much of the Pakistani perspective is left out as a consequence of the authorship belonging exclusively to the elite class. We wrap up with a brief exposition on the Journal of Postcolonial Writing and the unique space South Asian diaspora literature occupies within that realm.

This week I talk to Dr. Shazia Sadaf, an accomplished academic and professor of Human Rights and Social Justice at Carleton, about the deep effects of colonization on the South Asian mind and how these manifest in daily life at home and in foreign territory. We discuss emerging Pakistani literature and the ways in which South Asians are reclaiming control over the literary sphere to judge their art using own standards of quality rather than borrowing them from the West.

Continuing my discussion with Professor Suhaib Riaz, we delve into the value of following the things that bring you happiness, whether in an extracurricular sense or as part of your primary career. This opens up a discussion on the nature of happiness and whether it should be a goal to strive for, or is there something more worthwhile we should be chasing. Suhaib talks about the inevitable pressures that follow us in our professional lives and the balance we have to find to cope with this. We end with a digression on identity and ways to develop it without compromising our cultural upbringing.

This week, I sit down with Professor Suhaib Riaz, a deep thinking, humorous, and intelligent Muslim Indian Associate Professor of Management at uOttawa. We talk about the value of critically questioning the instinctual habits South Asians develop in their upbringing that they have to overcome after immigrating. We also discuss the value of venturing outside one's comfort zone of interests to expand your network and maintain a meaningful social life.

Continuing my discussion with Miss Uzma Gilani. This time we dive into the barriers to integration that immigrants face when they move. We discuss the South Asian perspective on community involvement and the opportunities that are largely overlooked. Uzma Gilani provides concrete advice for Desi immigrants, particularly students, on how to integrate themselves while consolidating their cultural identity in their new host society. Hope you enjoy and stay tuned for next week's episode!

Welcome to the very first episode of Baat Cheet where we are joined by Miss Uzma Gilani, an accomplished Pakistani-origin immigrant and Carleton alumnus who spoke with me about the deeply embedded influences a South Asian upbringing can have on a person's career and lifestyle.