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The Graduate Student Resource Center and Career Services are excited to welcome a new Graduate Career Peer Advisor, Vash Doshi. ​​Vash is currently pursuing his PhD in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Political Economy. Read on to learn more about ​Vash!

By Kate Brody-Adams, Assistant Director of Professional Development
Monday, July 8th, 2019 - 2:30pm

Vash featured image

The Graduate Student Resource Center and Career Services are excited to welcome our new Graduate Career Peer Advisor, ​Vash Doshi. ​​Vash is currently pursuing his PhD in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Political Economy. Read on to learn more about ​Vash!

HIS STORY

Mine is a story of diversity - of experiences, geographies, cultures. Having been born in India but raised partially in both India and the US, I have always had a keen understanding and appreciation for varied customs, peoples, and histories. My background and experiences drove me to my current field of International Relations. The desire to understand and appreciate the other is a fundamental belief that I always carry within myself. I am convinced that only if there is peace among nations can people find avenues to live up to their god given potential. This desire to understand and respect the world around us has led me across the country, first to the Mountain West to pursue my Masters in International Studies from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and then to Santa Barbara for my PhD.

H​IS ACADEMIC INTERESTS

My primary research interests lie in the area of Political Economy. Political Economy is a hybrid field that studies the politics behind economics. I study two distinct sets of political economy questions - the role of the informal economy in domestic politics, and the politics of sovereign debt. The phenomenon of a large and politically powerful informal economic sector isn't just a feature peculiar to India, it is the standard in most developing nations throughout Africa and South Asia. Thus, studying informal economy and its role in politics becomes imperative to understanding developing nations. My second strand of research - politics of sovereign debt - focuses on how governments utilize the issuance and denominations of sovereign debt to integrate or insulate themselves from the global economy, what are the political choices made, and what are the outcomes of these choices.

FUN FACTS

When I am not contemplating the world, I am engaged in either traveling or taking photos of landscapes. Santa Barbara has been a boon to my passion - its beautiful landscape is an absolute delight to any photographer​. On a Sunday, you can find me hiking one of the multitudes of stunning trails in the area trying to capture it. I also love nature, and since moving out west, I have been obsessed with visiting as many National Parks as possible. The next one on my list is Glacier National Park in Montana. Supposedly, the glaciers are melting and I must get there before they do. I have also had the opportunity to visit 30 countries in my life, each with its unique and wonderful experience etched in my memory; however, the list keeps growing and next up (hopefully) is Russia and Uzbekistan.

H​IS ​ROLE AS THE CAREER PEER

I am thrilled to be joining this position and getting the chance to help my peers pursue their dreams. I am eagerly looking forward to working with and helping my fellow colleagues put their best foot forward in the job market. I am also excited to ​reach out to those peers of mine who have not yet had the opportunity to explore the varied resources available at the GSRC and help them target careers that they would excel in. I hope to engage with students from both SHEF and STEM departments on campus by holding workshops, meetings, and events that allow students to explore the world within and beyond academia. I also look forward to collaborating ​on other grad student-led campus events such as the Graduate Career Mixer and Beyond Academia to raise awareness about the diversity of paths available to graduate students.

Welcome, ​​Vash!