This time scientific Bangladesh has talked with Md Aminul Hoque. He has described steps for PhD in the 
USA and shared his insights on other important issues for a PhD student. Here is what he says
1.Scientific Bangladesh: Briefly introduce our readers to yourself, your PhD topic, and University
Md Aminul Hoque: My name is Md Aminul Hoque. I am a third-year PhD student at Washington State University. My research focus is on designing reconfigurable integrated circuits for millimeter-wave frequencies for communication systems.
2.Scientific Bangladesh: How did you choose your i) Research/PhD topic and ii) Institute?
Md Aminul Hoque: I did my BS in Electrical Engineering in Bangladesh and graduated from BUET in 2013. Upon searching for the opportunity to pursue higher studies, I contacted a professor at the University of Idaho, who offered me a research assistantship in a master’s program. My research topic was signal/power integrity and applied electromagnetism. After completing MS, I shifted my research focus to RF/microwave circuit design.
3.Scientific Bangladesh: What is the minimum qualification in your university to get admission as PhD student, Bachelor, or Master’s degree?
Md Aminul Hoque: Typically, for graduate degrees, there is university requirements and then departmental requirements. The university requires GRE/GMAT beyond a bachelor degree. The cut-off score depends on the department and varies year to year. The other requirement is the language test (TOEFL or IELTS). These are basic admission requirements. For my department, it is always recommended to contact the professors who can support the tuition through some kind of assistantship.
4.Scientific Bangladesh: What has made you have gone for PhD? In other words, why you are doing PhD?
Md Aminul Hoque: The research field was interesting to begin with, and I was not very familiar with it during my BS. The field is emerging and always changing, as the demand for higher speed and data rate continues to grow. I can see direct impact of the research work that has been going on in recent years, which gave me the inspiration to engage in research in this field. The most prominent outcome of research in RF/microwave research would be the deployment of 5G worldwide. My research in mmWave frequencies would further extend this to open up new possibilities in this field.
5.Scientific Bangladesh: If anyone wants to do PhD in your University/country, what are the steps one has to follow?
Md Aminul Hoque: Since I am doing my PhD in the USA, I can say the first step would be to keep a good CGPA, it always helps. That is the first thing the evaluator (a professor or grad coordinator) would look at. Then comes the supplementary objects in the application package, such as GRE/TOEFL scores, publications, etc. Having some research experience also helps. Also, publication in international conferences or peer-reviewed journal helps a lot. Try to build a research profile with your experience.
To summarize, the steps are as follows:
• Complete standardized tests (GRE/GMAT and TOEFL/IELTS)
• Complete Bachelor or equivalent degree (good grades help)
• Prepare a statement of purpose or letter of intent
• Email professors (very important) who are working in your field
• Upon getting some positive responses, apply to the university
• After getting admission, prepare for VISA application
6.Scientific Bangladesh: How will you get PhD, by submitting a thesis or publishing a certain no of publications(journal articles)?
Md Aminul Hoque: The official requirement is to submit a thesis. But, almost all PhD graduates have to publish their work in good conferences and journals. These publication requirements are not official, but it’s more like a norm in graduate school.
7.Scientific Bangladesh: Did you deliberately choose your Supervisor? What were your criteria for choosing PhD supervisor?
Md Aminul Hoque: Yes, I chose my supervisor intentionally. I knew another student working with him before I joined.
8.Scientific Bangladesh: What is your key to maintaining a good relationship with your supervisor?
Md Aminul Hoque: Supervisors require regular work from their students. If you can show regularity and productivity, they will be satisfied. If there is any problem, it is better to inform them as early as possible so that he can give proper advice.
9.Scientific Bangladesh: What principle do you follow to maintain a good relationship with your labmates?
Md Aminul Hoque: Labmates play a key role in the journey of PhD. Most of the ideas come out when we are discussing this together on a whiteboard. It is always good to have a good relationship with colleagues. Instead of thinking of them as your competitor, consider them as contributors to your work. It is also important to keep a good relationship outside of work with the labmates.
10.Scientific Bangladesh: Doing PhD is a stressful job? How do you manage or release stress?
Md Aminul Hoque: Yes, sometimes it can be very stressful, especially before a deadline. It is always recommended to have some time of the day for relaxation and cooling off. Outdoor activities help a lot in these cases. Also, I try to take at least one full day in the week where I do not do any research-related work.
11.Scientific Bangladesh: How many days in a week you go to the lab? Why?
Md Aminul Hoque: Usually I go to the lab/office space every weekday. Although the pandemic has forced us to adjust and work from home since March 2020. Going to the lab has some benefits as it is easier to focus on the lab/office environment.
12.Scientific Bangladesh: PhD is considered as training for a career in Research. What 1. technical and 2. Soft skills you are focusing to develop or developed by this time?
Md Aminul Hoque: The whole duration of PhD should be considered as a learning period. What I feel about learning technical skills, I am getting experience on how to become a design engineer. That involves learning new tools and design techniques to apply in circuit designing. As for soft skills, I am focusing more on communication, integrity, and leadership skills.
13.Scientific Bangladesh: What is your future plan? Want to go back to Bangladesh or not?
Md Aminul Hoque: For now, after finishing PhD I want to engage myself as a design engineer in industry, here in the USA. After a few years of gathering experience and seeing practical use of the knowledge gathered, I plan to go back to Bangladesh.
14.Scientific Bangladesh: What are your suggestions for prospective PhD students?
Md Aminul Hoque: My suggestion would be to focus on the field that you are truly passionate about and have some idea what you want to do, don’t follow where all the others are going. Although you will have a supervisor, at some point you will have to come up with new ideas. At the same time, you should be flexible because sometimes things just don’t work as planned. It’s wise to select your advisor carefully because a relationship with your advisor lasts far beyond the duration of PhD. And don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you are struggling.
