By Fatima Sehar
It is with great pride that we announce the formation of the COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI) SIAM Student Chapter in Pakistan. This chapter seeks to bring CUI students into the mainstream of industrial and applied mathematics as well as the research-oriented track of the larger SIAM community. It aims to promote student interest in applied and computational mathematics while simultaneously highlighting industrial applications. The chapter will also create exciting research opportunities and collaborations for undergraduate and graduate students, both locally and abroad.
The inauguration ceremony for the CUI Student Chapter took place in December 2021 in CUI’s Junaid Zaidi Library. The ceremony introduced students to SIAM and its activities and sparked valuable conversations about the use of mathematics in real-world scenarios. Hina Tariq (a human resources officer for the CUI Student Chapter) and Areeba Liaqat (head of the chapter’s Design Team) delivered the opening remarks and invited Mr. Sohaib (a Ph.D. scholar) onstage for the recitation of the Holy Quran. Next, chapter president Sania Ejaz offered a detailed introduction to SIAM activities around the world and explained the perks of SIAM membership. She expressed the CUI Student Chapter’s intention to represent SIAM by collaborating with various national and international institutes and organizations. After Ejaz’s informative presentation, Rutaba Saleem (secretary of the CUI Student Chapter) encouraged attendees to join SIAM and walked them through the membership process. She also reviewed the chapter’s rules and regulations and discussed the election procedures for new executive committee members.
Abdullah Shah, an associate professor at CUI and faculty advisor of the CUI Student Chapter, then addressed the crowd. Shah’s energetic speech conveyed his passion for collaboration between institutions and organizations. He recalled his journey to establish the first SIAM student chapter in Pakistan and explained the hurdles that he and other SIAM members faced along the way. The resulting CUI Student Chapter is the only one of its kind amongst Pakistani universities and educational institutions, and Shah was beyond grateful to finally attend the inauguration ceremony after a year of hard work.
“CUI is a community of students who hold a passion for learning,” Shah said. “They are delighted to start this new journey of growth and learning with one of the biggest and undoubtedly the best society for applied and computational mathematics.” His dynamic and active demeanor brought forth the same spirit in the CUI students, and many of them joined SIAM upon the ceremony’s conclusion. During his speech, Shah shared his plans to uphold strong relations with SIAM and collaborate with the Society on research and technical projects. He also acknowledged the support of Sohail Iqbal, Imran Parvez Khan, and Saad Raza in establishing the CUI Student Chapter.
Next to speak was Mehmood ul Hassan, head of CUI’s Department of Mathematics. He expressed his gratitude and happiness on behalf of all students and faculty for the start of a new SIAM student chapter, and encouraged the attending students to dedicate time for similar ventures and ignite their creativity to explore the real-life applications of different mathematical fields.
Sohail Iqbal and Salman Amin, assistant professors in CUI’s Department of Mathematics, shared their insights as well. Amin spoke about SIAM’s peer-reviewed research journals and emphasized their value within the fields of applied mathematics and computational science. Iqbal urged attendees to work for the overall growth of SIAM and advised them to give back to the community. Shamsul Qamar, chairperson of Incharge Academics, was the ceremony’s chief guest and gave a concise address.
The CUI SIAM Student Chapter has been working hard since the inauguration ceremony by breaking into multiple teams that are collaborating for the purpose of innovation. The chapter wishes to provide an intellectual platform for students to share ideas, harbor an environment of creativity and development, and ultimately represent SIAM in the best possible way.
Acknowledgments: The author wishes to recognize Rutaba Saleem and Hina Tariq for their contributions to this piece.
Fatima Sehar is a B.S. student of mathematics at COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI). She is the content team head for the CUI SIAM Student Chapter.