Khwarizmi Science Society
The Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS) is a non-profit organization aimed at furthering a science culture in Pakistan’s educational institutions and in the general public. Since its inception around 1995, the society has played an influential role in science popularization and outreach, cherishing the idea that science and its magic can and must be shared with all and sundry. The Society has been a catalyst toward bridging the gap between biologists and mathematicians, physicists and engineers, and, most importantly, between scientists and the public. Numerous public lectures, symposiums, science exhibitions, and ‘melas’ organized by the KSS stand testimony to the claim that the KSS belongs to neither one institution nor academicians but the nation; it belongs to all who adore the joy of understanding.
Meet the Team
Dr. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar
Dr. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar is the Dean and Professor of Physics at the LUMS Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering. He helped establish the physics department and was among the principal founders of the School’s experimental facilities and curriculum. He remained Chair of the Physics Department for five years. Ideas from his physics instructional laboratories have been replicated in five Pakistani universities.
His research interests encompass spintronics, magnetism, and optics. Sabieh has published around fifty research articles in international journals, including Science and Physical Review Letters. He is the General Secretary of the Khwarizmi Science Society, which aims to popularize science at the grassroots level. Before joining LUMS SSE in 2007, Sabieh was a post-doc in chemistry and materials science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. student, as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He received the TWAS medal in physics in 2008 and the National Innovation Prize in 2015.
His websites are http://www.physlab.org and https://sbasse.lums.edu.pk/sbasse-deans-personal-corner
Muhammad Umar Hassan
He is an outstanding Pakistani inventor, an avid electronics hobbyist, and a mechanical engineer. With mechanical engineering on the base and a strong grip on computer sciences, he has developed a rare skillset that has enabled him to work on multidisciplinary projects. For the past 9 years, he has worked on numerous research and development projects, delivering many powerful inventions along the way. He is also the co-founder of 5.9, a Pakistani startup, and a consecutive winner of two annual inter-schools science competitions as well as the Founder of Markhor3D which is world’s most affordable 3D printer enablling and empowering the minds of young kids of our country. At the mela the KSS stall named “Suprisium” or in Urdu “”حیرت گھر” is all built by Umar along with a dedicated team of volunteers and led by Dr. Mustafa.
Mohsina Asif
Mohsina Asif is an Application Engineer at Physlab, LUMS, and the Science Communicator of Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS). She has studied Mechanical Engineering at UET, Lahore. She is also Spectra’s Assistant Managing Director and Internship Instructor and has volunteered as a Mentor in Lahore Science Mela 2019. Since 2020, as the Science Communicator of KSS, Mohsina has organized many public science outreach events, courses, seminars, and festivals, through the online realm and back to the physical world. In the future, she aspires to work at an intersection of science, engineering, education, and policymaking.
Her website is: https://sites.google.com/view/mohsina-asif
Muhammad Yausoob
Yausoob recently graduated with a Bachelor’s in Economics with Data Science from the Information Technology University of Punjab (ITU). He has worked with numerous NGOs and
organizations as a volunteer and professional.
He has experience in HR, marketing, management, and teaching. His expertise is in the education sector, where he has and continues to contribute the most. He is a fast learner and can contribute uniquely to the efficiency of a process.
He has worked and led people in various nationally and internationally teams during his time at AIESEC.
Charisma Wafee
Charisma Wafee is an aspiring linguist and a science communicator. Her interest lies in Teaching English as a Second Language in Pakistani Schools and promulgating indigenous languages of Pakistan.
She has completed her M-Phil from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, and currently teaches at the University of South Asia.
Charisma has been part of the Khwarizmi Science Society since 2016 and has contributed to organizing several science fests, public lectures, and training workshops. She believes that, through science, we can bring people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds together based on their love for investigating the world around them.
Salman Mahmood Qazi
Salman Mahmood Qazi is no different from a patriot who wants see to Pakistan’s progress. Currently, he is part of the teaching fraternity at the Departments of Electronics, GCU Lahore, and has done MS in Electrical Engineering. Even being a science student, he keeps the expedition of his life enthralled through the essence of arts and philosophy. He has been part of the prestigious Pakistan Student Satellite Project, where he developed satellite communication systems suitable for launching into space. His research encompasses topics like Colored Night Vision, Cognitive Radio, Robotics, and IoT, working on which he has international publications, and developed prototypes. He is also part of the international venture Integrated Cores, which is instrumental in providing scientific solutions for our everyday problems.
Studying at GCU pampers one with a legacy of the bests, and its aura urges everyone to be out of the box. Being a student there, he won various national awards in fields like photography, filmmaking, essay/drama, and scientific ideas. Putting his thought into action for the nisus of science-art alloy, he founded NAGS (Nerds of Art and Gurus of Science), a four-day national event, a team effort; that featured 30+ multidisciplinary contests in 2011. He is eager to apply the trade tricks he learned by being part of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan and Preparing Global Leaders Academy.
Dr. Muhammad Mustafa
Dr. Muhammad Mustafa received his Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (2012-2016). He received his MS and M.Sc degree in Chemistry and M.A in History. He was awarded an HEC scholarship for his Ph.D. studies and won a biomedical excellent academic achievement award for his Ph.D. work. As an assistant professor at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), his research group works on synthetic biology, genetic disorders, and breast cancer. Dr. Mustafa’s research group designed cost-effective means for early diagnosis of breast cancer established the role of CFTR mutation in male infertility, and discovered the anti-metastatic role of HOXA10 via p53 signaling in breast cancer patients. He has delivered numerous talks on educational forums and national and international conferences. His work and efforts have been recognized with multiple awards.
Besides his academic work, Dr. Muhammad Mustafa is an encouraging force for students to materialize their dreams through hard work and dedication. He is currently directing his energies toward reviving the scientific reading and writing culture in young Pakistanis. For this, he and his research group are working on writing pieces that can explain different scientific phenomena in their simplest forms. Their articles have been published in Technology Times and The News.
Dr. Muhammad Mustafa’s website: https://sites.google.com/a/fccollege.edu.pk/drmustafa/home
Khadim Mehmood
Khadim Mehmood is an exceptionally skilled and industrious machinist. He has machined countless machine parts that impose stringent tolerance limits. Having worked on many machines and hand tools, he can fabricate and repair various equipment. He loves to experiment and discover new ways to improve his existing methods and optimize his performance. Using his experience and experiment, he has worked on numerous mechanical and electrical fabrication projects and become a part of many success stories.
Abeer Asif
Abeer is a passionate Lahore Science Mela (LSM) team member. Her interests lie in biology, specifically the most modern field of biology known as biotechnology. She works with the Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS) as a content writer and a science communicator. Abeer is pursuing her undergraduate studies at FCC, Lahore.
Her favorite part about working with KSS is that she has a chance to spread science knowledge to those not exposed to its fun and engaging side and leave them in awe of the wonders around them.
She likes to cycle, read, organize social welfare activities, and chill with her tripod cat in her free time!
Muhammad Hamza Waseem
Muhammad Hamza Waseem is pursuing a DPhil in Physics at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Previously, he studied electrical engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. He has worked with major international scientific journals and magazines targeting high school and undergraduate students. He co-founded Spectra, an online magazine that aims at nurturing a generation of popular science writers and science journalists in Pakistan. Hamza is interested in optics, magnetism, and the history and philosophy of science. He looks forward to pursuing graduate studies in condensed matter physics.
Hamza works as a Science Communicator with the Khwarizmi Science Society and plays an important role in organizing the Lahore Science Mela series.
His website is: https://sites.google.com/site/hamzawaseem813/
Nimra Khurram
Nimra Khurram is pursuing a Master’s in Quantitative and Systems as a Fulbright Scholar. Previously, she studied Biotechnology and Education at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore. She is passionate about science and aims to spread the joy of scientific knowledge to the Pakistani community. Blended perspectives as a scientist and an educationist in the making have strengthened her beliefs in inculcating the wonder of science through exploration and imagination. Besides her love for science, her interests also lie in Arts, English literature, and Philosophy. She aspires to be a medical researcher and hopes to pursue graduate studies in oncology.
Nimra is currently working on a writing series that provides different scientific discoveries and advancements as simple concepts.
Muhammad Azeem Iqbal
Muhammad Azeem Iqbal is a graduate in Industrial Engineering and currently pursuing a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Management and Technology, Lahore. His current activities involve working as an active researcher in experimental physics, laboratory teaching, management, and manufacturing undergraduate hi-tech physics experimental setups. He also actively develops low-cost innovative solutions for improving the productivity & efficiency of laboratory systems.
He is also the Founder of Think Connects and a graduate with distincction from the National Incubation Center (NIC) Lahore and Stanford Seed Spark program. He is also the Founder and past chair of the Pakistan Society of Industrial Engineers (PSIE), which is Pakistan’s only national organization dedicated solely to the profession of industrial engineering, and is a recipient of the prestigious Gold Award from the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (USA) for his services to the field and community. He is also a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt from the Singapore Institute of Quality International and Pakistan Institute of Quality Control (PIQC). He is also working on several entrepreneurial projects involving developing low-cost technical solutions for small and medium enterprise businesses in Pakistan.
Azeem is extremely passionate about volunteering for educational causes and loves to spend time exploring the adventures of experimental physics.
Dr. Saadat Anwar Siddiqi (late)
Prof. Saadat Anwar Siddiqi holds a doctorate in engineering materials from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. He has worked as Professor and Director at the Centre for Solid State Physics, Punjab University. He spearheaded new research areas in high-temperature superconductivity, functional and magnetic materials, electron microscopy, and novel synthesis techniques for advanced materials. His work has been published in international journals of the highest repute. Currently, his work at the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Biomedical Materials, COMSATS, revolves around the artificial bone, biomimetic materials, and bio-ceramics.
Dr. Siddiqi is also the Founder and President of the Khwarizmi Science Society, Pakistan’s most active grassroots science society. Established in 1995, the Society has organized several national campaigns focused on the popularization of science and on raising awareness about scientific matters among the public. His campaign centered around the International Year of Astronomy (2009) and won acclaim in the international press and competitive awards. Dr. Siddiqi’s articles depicting the state of science education in Pakistan are frequently published in the national press. The Lahore Science Mela 2017 is a joint initiative of the Khwarizmi Science Society and the Ali Institute of Education.
His website is: https://saadat.ksslsm.org/