How did the universe begin? What are the basic building blocks of matter? These are questions pondered not only by world-famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking but young physics majors like Mounir Elgharabawy, an Egyptian who is pursuing his bachelor’s at New York University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
“I chose to study physics because I’ve always been interested in it and I believe that it ultimately guides us to a better understanding of our universe,” says Elgharabawy.
Physics is the study of matter, energy and how the two interact. Elgharabawy chose his school for its liberal arts curriculum.
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“It is essential for a successful physicist to have adequate knowledge in all sciences and even nonscientific fields, and not just be limited to physics,” says Elgharabawy. “This is exactly what NYUAD’s liberal arts curriculum provides.”
Elgharabawy is currently seeking opportunities to assist in research at NYUAD, specifically in astrophysics and particle physics. He says his school places an emphasis on learning both the theoretical and practical aspects of the field and provides its students with many research and networking opportunities.
“This is a crucial part of the learning experience here, which gives us leverage in terms of preparing us for the competitive world of employment,” says Elgharabawy, a member of the Astronomy Student Interest Group at his school.
Francesco Arneodo, an associate professor and the physics program head at the university, says the school offers a Bachelor of Science in physics, in line with U.S. curriculums and in particular with NYU in the States.
“Our students have the possibility to study abroad for at least one semester and two January terms, choosing among one of the several available nodes of the NYU Global Network,” says Arneodo. Elgharabaway says he plans to spend one semester to a year in New York.
Egyptian Yumna Moussa spent 10 years of her childhood in Saudi Arabia before returning to Egypt for high school and university. As a recipient of the Joseph Van Vleck Endowed Scholarship, based on academic merit and financial need, Moussa is able to pursue her dream of studying physics at the American University in Cairo.
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“Physics has the power to make us question our perception of the world and therefore somehow forces us to always look at things around us from different perspectives,” says Moussa.
She chose the school for the reputation of its physics department, which she says “has a group of the strongest physicists in the Middle East,” noting faculty collaborations with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“The research opportunities for physics undergraduates at AUC are among the best opportunities for undergraduates in the region,” says Moussa. “I get to help in research, participate in collaborations with foreign institutions, and gain a lot of professional experience and academic networking.”
The school offers a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in physics, as well as a graduate diploma in physics, which requires 18 credit hours to complete compared with 32 for the master’s degree. Moussa plans to complete one semester of an internship with one of her physics professors as a lab research assistant in the field of nanophysics and nanotechnology.
“In a world where change and innovation are the leading themes, a physics education would guarantee that I stay in pace with the new technological advancements and would even give me the tools to be actually one of the instigators of such advancements,” says Moussa, a member of her school’s robotics and astronomy clubs.
Waheeb Essa Alnaser, a professor of applied physics at the University of Bahrain, said in an email that most of the university’s graduates “are employed within a year of graduation or less in different sectors” such as energy, medicine, industry, education, media, environment and forensics. The school offers a Bachelor of Science in physics, and a Master of Science in applied physics with three streams in nanotechnology, advanced materials and environmental physics, says Alnaser.
Typically, physics grads go on to pursue a Ph.D., followed by a career in academia and research, says NYUAD’s Arneodo.
“This is by no means the only possibility. Physics is really hard, and gives a student a very rigorous mindset that makes her or him able to tackle a great variety of problems,” says Arneodo . “It’s very easy to find physicists in business, finance, consulting, computer science, etc. One of our recent graduates is now with an international consulting firm in Dubai, another is with Google and others are pursuing a Ph.D. in the most prestigious Ph.D. schools in the U.S.”
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Elgharabawy hopes to head to the U.S. for his Ph.D. and pursue research in either particle physics or quantum mechanics. Moussa plans to continue research in theoretical physics while working on getting her master’s and Ph.D. degrees. And on her journey toward researching black holes and dark matter, she may well become the next Stephen Hawking.
“I have set my eyes on the leading physics and astrophysics research institutions like the Max Planck Institute, CERN and NASA,” says Moussa.
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Arab Universities Prep Physics Students for Business, Research originally appeared on usnews.com
