When you open LinkedIn, you often see posts filled with positivity: everything is good, everything is fine, everyone is pleased. However, not every experience is just about feeling good. Instead of writing a typical “everything is perfect” post, I want to share some real reflections from my recent visit to Singapore and SupercomputingAsia 2025 (#SCA25).

1. A Tale of Two Societies

In my hometown, Lebanon, we pride ourselves on coexistence, yet our society remains governed by a rigid sectarian quota system. In Singapore, however, I saw what true diversity looks like in practice: Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, and others living together in mutual respect. This diversity isn't just a slogan; it fuels a "highly developed", well-organized, and efficient society, qualities Lebanon still struggles to achieve.

2. HPC is More than Just Computing: It’s People

SupercomputingAsia 2025 (SCA25) was a huge event. Big names, big research, big discussions. But what stood out the most? The right people.

🔹 Right People, Right Questions: You don’t just learn passively; you find the right people who actually have answers to your toughest questions. Experts who challenge your ideas, expand your perspective, and push your thinking further.

🔹 Networking Across Continents: Coming from a Middle Eastern research environment, it was eye-opening to engage with postdocs, PhD candidates, and MSc students from ASEAN countries. Their approaches, challenges, and innovations in HPC, AI, and quantum computing gave me a fresh perspective on what’s happening outside my usual research bubble.

🔹 Beyond the Technical: Yes, we discussed parallel computing, AI models, quantum algorithms, and the latest HPC trends. But beyond that, we exchanged stories about research struggles, academia, industry transitions, and even life in different parts of the world.

This was my 4th HPC school, but the first time I truly experienced an HPC school on a global scale.

🙏 A Huge Thank You!

A special thanks to the organizers of the 2025 ACM ASEAN School on HPC and AI and SupercomputingAsia 2025 (SCA25), Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore RIKEN for creating such an enriching environment for learning and collaboration.