OPP Scholars 2025-26

Aiman Nauman

Aiman is a gifted physicist with a passion for discovery. She earned a 1580 SAT score and entered LUMS on a merit scholarship at 17, consistently outperforming her Physics cohort with high distinction, completing research in high-energy theoretical physics, and winning the NMF Gold Medal for Physics. She has delivered lectures on relativity and quantum mechanics for LUMS's National Outreach Programme, taught mathematics at the Syedanwala School problem-solving camp, and served as a Director of LUMS Women in Computing. She has also volunteered with Science Fuse, writing and translating science stories. Deeply committed to advancing women's participation in science, Aiman aspires to pursue a PhD and return to Pakistan as an academic leader in physics.

Kayanat Iltaf

Kayanat's academic journey stands as a testament to resilience, excellence, and an enduring commitment to social progress. She received a Gold Medal for first position in her Higher Secondary examinations, then graduated among the top 3% of her class at Quaid-i-Azam University with a CGPA of 3.8. In 2022 she won the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Scholarship for the Global Development Policy programme, graduating with distinction across three leading European universities. Before Oxford she served as a pre-doctoral research fellow at the University of Göttingen, contributing to collaborative research with the World Bank. At Oxford, supervised by Professor Jane Barlow, her doctoral research examines how maternal risk factors during the perinatal period shape children's socioemotional trajectories in low-resource settings, with a focus on Pakistan. She is driven by a commitment to education, empowerment, and breaking cycles of limitation for women in her community.

Muhammad Huzaifa Naeem

Muhammad Huzaifa Naeem graduated from NUST with distinction, earning the President's Gold Medal for first place academically with a CGPA of 3.99, the Rector's Gold Medal for best final-year project, the Best Project Award at the Open House, and the Best Community Service Student Award. As President of the NUST Physics and Astronomy Society and recipient of the Best Space Ambassador Award from SUPARCO, he has championed science outreach throughout his career. He was recognised among Pakistan's Top 5 under-20 physicists after winning the National Physics Talent Contest and was selected to represent Pakistan at the International Physics Olympiad in Lithuania. Huzaifa aspires to pursue a PhD in physics and return to Pakistan as a researcher and academic, contributing to the country's scientific ecosystem.