SUTA :: Sharif University of Technology Association

Dear Friends and Colleges

It has been a while that I am thinking about ways to revive SUTA’s Southern California gathering. All of SUTA’s gatherings and meetings were interesting and memorable, but the motive and purpose of these meetings were not strong enough to put their reoccurrence on auto pilot.

I asked myself: “What can make me enthusiastic and eager enough to attend regular (for example monthly) meetings?”

My answer was: “I will attend those meetings if they satisfy a need that I cannot fulfill somewhere else.”

My next question was:  “What can I not find anywhere else?”

These days with the help of computers and all the new communication systems, we can find all of our old friends. Even the ones whom do not want us to find them.J

We can research whatever subject we desire. I wish I had access to Google when I was doing my Ph.D. research.

We can watch any kind of movies, show, news, debates (thanks to you tube), and listen to any kind of music.

But, as technology advances and we humans spend more time in front of our computers, we lose our sense of community. We become more and more individualized. This could be a good attribute for increasing the productivity of a society, but definitely is not good for the mental, psychological and cognitive needs of the individuals. We lose our sense of team work and team support.

I understand that in our work places we are part of so many teams and we learn about team work, but I am not talking about our jobs. In reality we are more than our jobs. What about our hobbies, our passions, or our desires to share our minds with real people? Where can we discuss the different thoughts we carry around with ourselves every day?

Every Sharif alumnus is good at understanding, applying, and modifying laws of physics and mathematics. But how many of us get the opportunity to explore other venues of life?

Where and how can the fortunate ones who had the opportunity of tasting other phenomenon of the life share their observations, findings, feelings, disappointments, failures, and hopes?

Where can we talk and brain storm about the many ideas, questions, answers etc. which we carry around every day?

Most of us are so busy fulfilling the requirement s of our jobs that we forget why we are working.

We are working to provide financial security for our lives. We are not living to work.

American society has affected us too. When we meet each other, the first question we ask is: “What do you do?”

What I do does not necessarily define who I am. It only shows how I make the money I need to survive financially.

Why we do not ask each other “What do you like to do”?

We as Iranian Americans are a sub group (a sub culture) in the American society. We as engineers and sciences are a sub sub group in this society.

One of the interesting areas which this sub sub group should be more active in is entrepreneurship.

We need to work on our entrepreneurship skills.

We should improve our marketing strategies to market our findings, ideas, thoughts and believes.

For example, this group has so many scientific patents under their names. But, how about materializing these patents? How much we are involve in this part? What did we do to convert these patents to real world products and services?

We need better communication techniques. We should start to mentor each other and teach and learn from each other.

Other sub groups (sub cultures) have done and are doing this very successfully. One example is Indian American entrepreneurs (WWW.tie.org).

Here is what they are saying about themselves:

“The mission of TiE is to foster conscious entrepreneurship globally by Educating, Mentoring and Networking. Started in 1992 by successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley; today the TiE network has over 13,000 members and charter members in 13 countries and 5 continents”

I like to be a member of a group which supports the needs of the Iranian American engineers and scientists.

I suggest that SUTA become a support group for all of us.

How should we start this?

My suggestions for the support Group (SUTA Southern California Chapter) are:

1-      Meetings should be free.

2-      Meetings should be held once a month in an afternoon.

3-      Location of the meetings should be fixed in a college, university, a company conference room etc. (A place which we can find for free). To achieve this, we may get help from the members who are associated with higher level education organizations.

4-      Food should not be a major concern in the meeting. It could be served if it is provided voluntarily by a person, group or organization.

5-      Meetings should be organized as round table discussions.

6-      In each meeting at least 10 members should introduce themselves and talk about any subject that is their interest for about 5 to 15 minutes.

The Goals

To provide:

1- A happy, friendly, warm, sincere, peaceful and non judgmental atmosphere where everyone can participate.

2-      A place to talk, but not argue, about our beliefs and opinions.

3-An environment for brain storming and talking about whatever we carry around in our minds every day (ideas, hobbies, questions, answers etc.).

4-A place for sharing experiences, findings, observations, feelings, disappointments, failures, lost opportunities and hopes.

5- A place to mentor, teach and learn from each other.

6-A place of moral and physical support for the members.

7- A place to work on objectives which are beneficial for the group.

8- A way to become productive and find ways to generate cash flow for the support group.

8-   A way to become well known nationally and internationally and have a trade mark.

9- A place to voice our position and opinion in social, cultural, economical, scientific and political communities.

10-  Support for other chapters for reorganizing and rejuvenating.

This group should welcome every free thinker and accept non SUTA members (Iranian engineers and scientists) as guest members.

The group saves the right to discontinue membership of any member who does not follow the organization’s guidelines.

My phone number is (949) 464-2082. My email is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I am ready to help in any way needed to start this support group.

With Regards,

Soheyla Kamal Ph. D.