Yusif Gurbanli: Creating the path to success [PHOTO]

Two years ago, we wrote about the first foreigner who graduated from high school in Michigan with a diploma and a gold medal in just one year (link). Where is the former champion of Azerbaijan in intellectual games and the “best student of the year” awarded by the ex-minister of education M. Jabbarov now? We’ve recently got in touch with him for a new interview presented below:

- Hello, Yusif! We are glad to see you in our homeland again. We have a couple of questions that would interesting to our audience.

- Hello. Thank you very much! It is a great honor to be home during these glorious times for my country. I will try to answer all of your questions briefly yet in details.

- Great! At our last meeting, you just graduated from school and were finalizing the university decision. University of Michigan, Southern California, Cornell, Miami and many more, so which one did you up choosing?

- Yes, it was a tough decision since there were quite a few universities to go with. In the end, I still chose Miami due to several factors. After winning the robotics championship in Michigan, representatives from NASA have contacted me and offered an internship in one of their centers, which is located in Florida. Miami also offered the highest presidential scholarship & international scholar grant and very broad networking opportunities that I have not seen anywhere else. In pursuit of ratings, a lot of prospective students run to the universities about the spirit and atmosphere of which they have no idea. For example, Cornell is a very prestigious Ivy League university, but have you ever been to up-state New York? Incredibly beautiful nature, but at the same time there are miles of unpopulated land and therefore very limited socialization level, which is the most important factor at an American university.

- I agree. We have heard that you are studying aerospace engineering and business law at the same time. How is this possible, isn’t it difficult?

- In American universities, you can study at several faculties simultaneously, you choose your classes yourself. On one hand, this is very interesting, on the other, it can quickly turn into a planning nightmare if you don't have the right discipline and don't do your job on time. During the first year, I was able to understand how to do academic work correctly and efficiently while leaving time for social life.

- Why did you choose these specialties?

- Aerospace engineering is a combination of all the other types of sciences and engineering majors. It gives me the basic principles of programming, creating objects that we see every day: planes, rockets, and also develops such important soft skills as critical thinking and creativity. I had an interest in entrepreneurship and all its aspects from an early age, I was always interested not only in how to create something, but also in encouraging people to buy and use it.

- So, you are planning to create something in this area?

The fundamentals of engineering are easily and quickly integrated into ordinary branches of life that have not seen changes for centuries. I am very interested in the opportunity to invest in the new technologies and create them myself. It also greatly enhances the country's reputation from an international point of view. For the past few years, I have studied the high technology used in the aerospace industry in depth. Some aspects were applicable only due to the availability of the appropriate equipment at the centers: control modules, quantum computers.

- What event was a turning point for you during these 3 years in Miami?

The University of Miami alumni network has made it possible to build relationships with people at major space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Working with launch vehicles and satellites has greatly changed my perception of the world and expanded the boundaries of consciousness. After the disasters with the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, the space sector was having a hard time. The creation of reusable carriers has once again made the dreams of humanity colonizing outer space possible. From my first year, along with aerospace companies, I was also actively contacted by representatives from the large investment bank JP Morgan, who opened the doors to me into the world of finance and taught me all the basic concepts necessary for success in this field. Also, about a year and a half ago, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to an event at The Launch Pad? Luckily enough for me, my classes ended early that day and we were able to listen to the speaker. It was Travis Montaque, founder of the multi-million company Holler.io and a recent alumnus of the University of Miami. That evening, his speech greatly influenced my desire to create something in the field of technology and I started constantly thinking about interesting projects.

- So, what are you doing now?

I am still academically excelling during my junior year at UM, while doing practical training in aerospace sphere. I’m also a treasurer at the “Florida Engineering Society”. This summer I was lucky to start working on a joint venture with a good friend of mine. In a couple of months, we managed to found and develop a very large and ambitious project called "Investroy". Our task is to gradually create a platform for investment and help all the citizens of our country to have a safe passive income, regardless of the social status and salary. At this stage, we are publishing our financial analyzes of currency pairs, gold, stocks and expanding our audience. Thanks to the accuracy of our analyzes, we have become the top authors at the number of prestigious finance websites. We pay special attention to the development of the technological capabilities of our company (creating programs for performing certain tasks), as well as “quantitative analysis”, which is the application of higher mathematics and statistics in everyday algorithms.

 - What's your next step?

- Investroy is our brainchild that has yet to grow into a large company, which will take a lot of effort and time. One of the future goals is, in cooperation with the state, to double the minimum wage in the country through stable investments without the risk of inflation for “manat”. In parallel, I need to complete a bachelor's degree and apply for a master's degree.

- In USA?

- Yes, I'm thinking of choosing a management area with a focus on technology. The most prestigious place that can enable me to acquire the skills to improve my ideas will be Harvard University. One of my economics professors, Dr. Spigelman has greatly inspired me to do this.

- Why did you decide to continue your studies in America?

- American universities are unrealistically practical. There is a strong emphasis on the application of theoretical materials. Technology and the financial conditions of the universities allow this process to take place at a high-level. As a result, a company or a state receives not only a person with excellent theoretical knowledge, but a ready-made staff who can apply this knowledge at the proper level. One of the idols for many people in the aerospace field, Elon Musk, also loves practicality, although this does not stop him from breaking the boundaries of possible. I hope that today someone will also read this interview, get inspired, and our country will soon have its own Elon, or maybe even several.

-What advice would you give to our readers who want to create something of their own, but are afraid of all the difficulties?

- Since childhood, many acquaintances have told me that it is very bad to be into too many things simultaneously. They were against me playing several sports, robotics, intellectual games, and many other activities at the same time. Whereas I have always believed that if a person has desire and energy, then he should try himself in everything that brings him joy. Thanks to this quality, I was able to create a bridge between my hobbies in high technology, aerospace engineering and project creation. It will be much easier if you find a like-minded person as early as possible. My business-partner Mansum greatly facilitates my work by conscientiously doing his half. I really appreciate sincere people with the good work ethics. Try to surround yourself with people who are inspired by your work as much as you are.

- And what is your life credo?

- I believe that you always need to think about space, but not forget about the Earth, so all my immediate goals are related to the improvement of our planet and its people, and space will be the next step!

- Yusif, thank you very much for your time! We hope that this interview will also influence our readers, as much as you influenced us today in the editorial office. We wish you luck with the "Investroy" project and other undertakings!

- Always happy! Good luck to your editorial staff in the New Year and I hope you and everybody around stay safe and sound!