Sharang Biswas enrolled in the International School of Choueifat – Abu Dhabi (ISC-AD) in the U.A.E. as a 3rd grader and graduated in the summer of 2008. At ISC-AD, Sharang grew up around students from different countries, cultures, and religious backgrounds and learned to celebrate cultural diversity in the student body. Originally a young and shy student, Sharang soon developed into a confident, well-rounded, and curious young man who set out to learn more about both the arts and the sciences.
During his time at ISC-AD, Sharang excelled academically and earned the highest mark in the world in International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Physics in 2007. For his performance, he was awarded the HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cambridge Award, which is given students who perform outstandingly on IGCSE exams. Sharang attributes his success on external exams to the SABIS® approach to teaching. “SABIS®’s key strength is how basic, key concepts are taught until they are mastered by each and every student,” he explains.
As a student who identified strongly with the SABIS® approach to teaching, Sharang decided to help his fellow students master concepts. He joined the SABIS Student Life Organization® (SLO®) Academic Department and became a peer tutor, helping his classmates master challenging material. Not only did his involvement in SLO® help improve his classmates’ skills, it also helped him develop as an individual. Reflecting on his role in the SLO®, Sharang says, “My experience as a peer tutor really helped me break out of my shell and develop my interpersonal skills. I’ve since used those skills in the artistic work that I create, which heavily features theatrical and performance elements.”
Once at university, Sharang drew on his strong academic foundation to help him successfully complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in Engineering Sciences at Dartmouth College, a private, Ivy League research university located in the U.S. He followed up his first bachelor’s degree with another in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering. Having satisfied his interest in engineering-related studies, he decided to develop his creative side and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Interaction Design and Creative Technology at the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University (NYU).
In July 2014, Sharang performed an improvisational drawing-storytelling piece at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. He has also completed a multimedia, interactive theatrical play at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn. He is currently the Solow Art and Architecture Intern in Digital Learning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on game design for art education.
Having built on the knowledge and skills he acquired as a student at ISC-AD, Sharang has a world of opportunities open to him. We wish him all the best in whatever path he chooses – the arts or engineering.
Graduates from SABIS® member schools can connect with classmates through SAGA, the SABIS® Alumni Global Association at saga.sabis.net.