By: Mariya Younis
Dr.Rukhsanul Haq, a quantum Physicist and working as a scientist in an industry, has started an initiative called ‘Kashmir Institute of Mathematical Sciences’ (KIMS) which is an online institution and does not have any offline presence yet. The initiative was started on 7th Jan 2019 by him and his other associates in order to train the Kashmiri students perusing mathematical sciences.
The aim of the initiative, according to the members of this online institute, is to provide Kashmiri students with up-to-date and new developments in the field and also to broaden their view in the field of mathematical sciences. Many Kashmiri students from different universities across the country are associated with KIMS including Kashmir University, Islamic University of Science and Technology, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, Central University of Kashmir, Aligarh Muslim University and others. Apart from students, many professors in the field of mathematical sciences are connected with the initiative who are helping the students and counsel them at different stages of their careers. It is a free forum where no tuition fee is charged for the courses launched by it. Apart from online lectures and sessions, it has also successfully conducted offline workshops to interact with Kashmiri students so as to address several problems and provide information about different exams and institutions as well as tools to compete in such exams.
Many students who are perusing higher studies in mathematical sciences abroad are associated with the initiative along with the professors including some very famous personalities like Prof. Louis K Kauffman from University of Chicago, Prof.Dr. Amin Sofi from Kashmir University and others.
Dr.Rukhsan -ul- Haq he said that during his PhD, he came to know about the difficulties faced by students of mathematical sciences in Kashmir who, he found, were not well trained and guided as per the international standards and the requirements in the field. “My main motive with this initiative is the economic upliftment of Kashmiri society,” he said adding that “as we know quantum revolution is going to take place in coming years and hence keeping this scenario in mind we are also going to introduce Quantum Computation in next two months so as to get ready and equip our students with the necessities before the onset of this revolution.”
An associate from Aligarh Muslim University who runs KIMS-Aligarh Chapter, Dr.MohsinIlahi said that “We are moving systematically and with this initiative we want to begin a new era in mathematical sciences in Kashmiri society. Getting associated with the initiative is a blessing as I am personally overwhelmed regarding this work which shall bring positive change in Kashmir society as well as among the students in this field.”
While expressing his views, another associate from Bonn and Klon graduate school of physics Germany, Junaid Akhtar, said, ” My aim to get associated with KIMS is to cultivate scientific culture in Kashmir as most of the people think that after completing their intermediate only medicine and engineering are the career options and the ways to progress and KIMS will open new opportunities for the students here. “ You can have a very good career when you are doing research in physics or computer science or mathematics. There are more opportunities in physics like you can join different industries, you can be a data scientist or you can be a quantum physicist and what not,” he added.
Describing it as the only kind of institute that wants to set up a world class platform for research in Mathematical Sciences and promote the Scientific Culture in the valley, Murtuza Sajad, a student said that KIMS had helped him in various aspects of life. “I find myself lucky for being a member of such community”.
