Muhammad Shoaib Khan
Admitted to M1 at University of Lille, France in 2021 and to PhD at LUMS in 2022
Why did you decide to apply for IMM program?
The main reasons were that the faculty has an international purpose and the program is zero-fee. I am from a backward area and my family is not so rich, so I was really interested in the opportunity given by this program. And surely I was aware that it would be difficult to get selected here but still I wanted to try. In Pakistan there was only one other master program of mathematics providing scholarship, but IMM had the advantage to have an international component… it would be a completely new experience for me. From the beginning, we have been taught with the purpose to research or work abroad in our future carriers.
The program gave you a wider view of your future! How did you feel about this change of perspective?
I became more and more interested in the opportunity to go abroad. As time passed at Lahore Campus, I also had the opportunity to compared the level of the teaching I received during my Bachelor and during the IMM program: I mean, the way of explaining the problems, the way of going through the solution of them... I felt very challenged by this environment which was preparing us to tackle mathematics at an international level. It was not that easy.
I can imagine. Have you been supported in difficulties from IMM family?
Definitely yes. They helped us a lot, starting from Douglas, our tutor… we learnt a lot from him. Every time he was ready to help us and to explain every small detail of the most tricky exercises. And also professors and all the staff were very helpful: they provided us a challenge, but also the instruments to overcome it!
Tell us about your path: what did you do after the conclusion of IMM?
After IMM I was admitted to University of Lille, France, for the so-called “M1”, a master program in preparation to PhD. I have almost competed it: I left France one month before the effective conclusion of the master program. In France I felt some difficulties due to linguistic barriers: the courses were taught in French language and I tried my best to overcome the second semester, with some satisfactions: I completed my project and I defended it well. But in that period my mom started to feel bad, and I decided to come back home. Here I was admitted to a PhD program at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). The main reason for me to stay here in Pakistan is my family. It is easy to reach them from Lahore, or at least… it is surely easier than reaching them from France!
For sure. Would you like to go abroad after your PhD?
Yes, I would like to go abroad for a post doc after these four years.
What are you studying exactly during this PhD?
For this first year I will attend some courses and then I will officially start my research activity. My supervisor will decide in which area I will lead the research. At the moment I am studying complex analysis, algebra and game theory. Actually, this is a pure mathematics position.
You have just started: how are you?
These first days are quite hard. At the moment I have enrolled into three courses and it is little difficult to manage with the new environment and the new routine.
You will get used to this new routine for sure! Thank you for your time.
