911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ

A student society at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ has been Highly Commended in this year’s President’s Awards for Excellence in Societal Engagement, in recognition of its work to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers from underrepresented backgrounds.

, a society established four years ago to support Muslim students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, received the commendation for its Natural Sciences STEM Insight Day that took place in February. The event offered 30 Year 12 students from across the UK an immersive experience of university-level science at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ, one of the world’s leading institutions.

The commendation, for one of the President’s Awards for Excellence at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ which recognise outstanding contributions to community and culture, education, research and societal engagement, was presented at a ceremony on 8 July.

We look forward to building on this programme and continuing to create opportunities for more young people to experience STEM at a top university! STEM Muslims Student society at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ

“This recognition would not have been possible without the support of so many people,” said the society in a statement. “We would like to thank the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ for nominating us for this award, and in particular Dr Valentin Laurent and Dr Emma Passmore for designing and delivering such an engaging microscopy session at the STEM Insight Day, as well as the student volunteers who generously gave up their time and energy to inspire the next generation.

“We look forward to building on this programme and continuing to create opportunities for more young people to experience STEM at a top university!”

Demystifying STEM pathways

STEM Muslims was founded with a mission to create an inclusive and supportive environment for students from underrepresented backgrounds, guiding them from primary school to their first professional roles. The society works to widen participation in STEM by removing barriers and demystifying pathways into higher education, collaborating closely with 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ departments, other student societies and external partners.

At the heart of this mission are the society’s flagship outreach programmes, including the STEM Insight Days, now in their third year. These volunteer-led taster days introduce ambitious Year 12 students to university life through lab sessions, interactive workshops and taster lectures.

This year, STEM Muslims welcomed 90 Year 12 students from around the UK to three Faculty-specific Insight Days covering Computing and Mathematics, Engineering, and Natural Sciences. The highly commended Natural Sciences day (pictured) gave students hands-on experience with a rat dissection to explore anatomy, a microscopy session investigating thin sections of rocks, and an applications workshop where current 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ students shared their personal journeys.

Student impact

Student feedback highlighted the transformative impact of the day, with participants praising the engaging activities and valuable insights into university life.

One student noted that it was “very well organised and eye-opening. It showed me different paths that I could take that I wasn't aware of”. The sessions also provided practical guidance on navigating the application process. “It helped me understand how to ensure a good application, how to enrich it and informed me of programmes which help,” one student commented.

The society received praise for the enthusiasm and engagement of its volunteers, with one participant noting, “You seemed very enthusiastic and engaged with us well. You helped influence my decision about which subject I want to do in uni.”

Looking to the future

Buoyed by this recognition, STEM Muslims is committed to building on its outreach programmes and creating more opportunities for young people to experience STEM at a top university.

The commendation is a significant milestone for the relatively young society, reflecting its growing impact in fostering a more diverse and inclusive STEM community at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ and beyond.