‘Rising Star’ accolade for University of Buckingham Maths student

A University of Buckingham student has received a global award as a ‘rising star’, recognising the work she has done in her studies as well as for women in her own country.

The Women of the Future Programme, which promotes the outstanding achievements of young female leaders globally across all industries and sectors, has named Maths PhD student Jehan Ghafuri as one of 50 of the world's female Rising Stars.

The awards are run jointly with ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), which assesses how a company is performing against its commitment to shape a better world on all fronts.

Jehan, aged 31, an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher and DPhil student at the University of Buckingham, has won the accolade for her work as a mathematician.

Jehan is part of a partnership project between the university’s School of Computing and Shanghai. She is the sole mathematician in the team and, as part of her research, has been using data to seek solutions for cancer detection.

The judges chose Jehan for her enthusiasm for working on challenging tasks, using her mathematical knowledge to serve the greater good in the community.

She is developing algorithms for real-world problems, such as designing computer-aided systems to support healthcare sectors.

She is also being recognised for her work with refugees in her native Kurdistan.

Jehan, who started at Buckingham in 2019, is due to finish her DPhil at the beginning of next year.

She said: "It was incredible seeing the recommendation letters - that was like receiving an award just in itself.

"It feels amazing to be listed as a Rising Star. I feel very lucky to have my career as well as other things I've done outside that in my country recognised. I hope this encourages other women to pursue science, maths and computing."

Prof Harin Sellahewa, Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Law and Psychology, said: "Jehan is an incredibly talented researcher and a role model for women.

"She has a great passion for mathematics and computing and their application to solve global problems.

"We are proud of her contributions to promote STEM subjects at schools and her efforts to inspire girls to pursue their dreams."