INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
networking value .
Studying in a foreign country , Ainil shares that she had a fair share of communication issues . Early on , the differences between American and Malaysian communication styles put her in a spot . She resorted to asking and observing others . It took some time for her to make people understand what she was trying to put across . “ I asked a lot and observed others on how they explain complex ideas by breaking them down into simple terms ,” she reveals . Eventually , she picked up skills on intellectual conversations , argument and analysis .
Why did she choose to study Mechanical Engineering ? She sees Mechanical Engineering as a foundation of a lot of engineering or what she terms as the ‘ build right function ’. She does not see engineering as ‘ cut and dry ’ but an exciting science which you can apply and do fun things . At Princeton , she says she enjoyed her projects studying trains , rockets and robots . She sharpened her interest in engineering by learning both hardware and software , enjoying the creative use of Artificial Intelligence ( AI ), robotics and data analysis .
“ You must not be microscopic in engineering ,” she declares , “ but be more comprehensive and zoom out when trying to solve problems .” This was the principle she applied while doing her undergraduate research . Ainil says her thinking cap covers many perspectives — engineering , maintenance , design and industrial production . Her research project evolved around how to detect and solve defects in production without stopping machines . The findings in Automated Defect Detection : An end-to-end Pipeline From Data to Deployment earned her the Donald Janssen Dike Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research . Following this , she was nominated to be a member of Sigma Xi , a scientific research honour society founded in 1886 . Sigma Xi chapters are found at many colleges and universities , Government laboratories and industry research centres around the world . More than 200 Nobel Prize winners have been Sigma Xi members .
Besides mechanical and aerospace engineering , the pragmatic Ainil took a minor in Entrepreneurship in her degree . This secondary specialisation augurs well for the young engineer . “ It comes hand in hand , knowing how to make things that people want to buy , how to make it affordable , saleable and scalable ,” she explains .
Ainil and her family at her graduation in Princeton
Ainil ’ s present job is with Palantir Technologies , a public-listed American company based in New York . She is involved in various aspects of the telecommunications sector such as network , technology and finance . On why she did not work in the aerospace industry , she explains that there are few opportunities for foreigners due to stringent US security clearances .
After work , Ainil unwinds with hobbies like reading , running and dancing . She is an avid reader . “ I love to read , fiction and non-fiction . I can distil content to a few main points ,’ she remarks . Continuously improving herself , she has joined a Design Thinking Society to learn about innovation and transformation .
For the future , she has set her sights on a higher goal . She plans to obtain a Master ’ s degree in Public Policy and do some policy work . Her rationale is that many society problems can only be solved with the right public policies .
On her advice for aspiring engineers , she calls on them to be their own agent of change . They should decide on the incremental habits that will improve themselves and these habits will lead to a brighter future . “ While you are still young and exploring your reality , be open to consuming the opportunities around you . Grow curious , fix your relationship with learning , and never put a glass ceiling for yourself in a world already full of adversities . Your only limit is the one that you impose on yourself .” - Inforeach
8 VOL 97 JANUARY - MARCH 2024