Imad Anis Kheffache: Discovering his Innate Passion for mathematics

Discovering the “Beautiful Compatibility”

Imad’s relationship with math didn’t begin with memorization, but with recognition. During high school, he recalls a moment of clarity when intuitive thoughts started to align with mathematical structures. For him, sequences weren’t just numbers, they were ways of describing the world. That spark revealed a “beautiful compatibility” between his way of thinking and the very nature of mathematics.

Still, the early road wasn’t smooth. Like many, he faced rigid systems focused on rote learning, often suppressing real curiosity. But he praises two teachers who taught him “proper mathematics” not just problem-solving, but thinking. They welcomed questions, challenged ideas, and helped him realize that math could speak directly to his personality. This encounter sealed his love for mathematics and his decision to study it intensely. 

A Quest for “Proper Mathematics”

Even at university, where he pursued Artificial Intelligence engineering in Algeria, he felt something missing. The logic was there, but not the depth. The algorithms, but not the structure. That gap became his motivation to search for “correct mathematics.” The IMM program, with its strong mathematical foundations, became the place to reconnect with his core passion.

Transformation and Global Vision

“Time at IMM was intense, especially the rapid pace of courses. One early test was when impossibly late visa issuing for Pakistan resulted in missing a crucial week of classes in one of the intensive module weeks taken by a visiting overseas faculty member”. Imad overcame this obstacle through devoting all his time during studying and catching up and managing to attain good grades, and through this experience, he learned that perfectionism doesn’t always serve you and stress is poison.

Quality doesn’t mean overworking, but being present.

Student life in IMM was “pretty relaxed, ” so there was a friendly atmosphere where class fellows discuss struggles and have friendly, often mathematical, conversations. He can recall one enjoyable instance when one classmate drowned him with tough material days before the exam, and so they nailed it.

Supported by world-class faculty, Imad refined his understanding of mathematical logic. He learned to see how clean structures and implications create meaning, not only in equations, but in the world. He began to understand global problems through mathematical models, giving his work a new sense of direction and purpose.

Looking Ahead

Besides from academic improvement, time at IMM gradually strengthened Imad’s stress and time management, leading to a more responsible and resilient life.

Today, Imad’s ambitions go far beyond academic excellence. He wants to apply mathematics to global issues from climate change to biodiversity, from energy transition to circular economy. His interest lies especially in Cognitive Computing and Geometric Deep Learning, both areas where hard mathematics meets real-world impact.

He no longer sees math as either pure or applied but as a spectrum, a language flexible enough to help shape a more sustainable future.

A Note to Future Students

For future students in the IMM, Imad gives some very motivational advice: the process will be worthwhile for the “depth of understanding” you will gain, and friendly society means that “help always available”. He backs the programme “will broaden your horizons” in mathematical terms but as an individual, and as someone whose comprehension of the wider issues in the world willbe broadened.

In retrospect, he would advise his junior self never to doubt his love for mathematics, never second guess it as being binary (pure or applied, but instead in gradations), and that there will always be a way for him to apply his interests and play using mathematics.

He advises prospective mathematicians to go out there and explore the world themselves and never question things. For Imad Anis Kheffache, the Institute for Materials and Mineral Resources (IMM) most definitely is “the place for you to be” if you have affection for mathematics