Imperial hosts Muslim Student Panel

What is MSP?

Muslim Student Panel (MSP) is a campaign hosted by Imperial College Union in collaboration with 13 Islamic Societies across the UK. It was formed in order to support prospective university students in their decisions in pursuing higher education. Whilst there is an abundance of experienced and well-planned panels available to young students there has not been one specifically for Muslim students. The need for such an event is that, whilst Muslim students face the same worries as their peers such as personal statements, entrance exams and making friends, there are also a number of considerations that emerge from a need to ensure that they can comfortably enrich their faith throughout their university experience. This can include ensuring one has the correct (Islamic) intention, knowing how to navigate the intricacies of their religious obligations whilst studying or perhaps even advice on finding common ground with their ever-diverse peers. MSP aimed to alleviate these concerns by showcasing some of the gems we have in the Muslim academic community by providing them with a platform to share their experiences and impart some wisdom. Co-headed by experienced student mentors, the focus was on inspiring the Muslim youth with confidence and excellence in their academic and spiritual life.

- Hafiza Irshad

The Launch of MSP

MSP was held at Imperial College London on Saturday 6th October. Keynote speakers included Ismaeel Karmani, a current final year EEE student, who spoke about the importance of gaining an education- which includes, but is not limited to, the typical school to University route. Ilyas Nagdee, NUS BME officer, was also invited to speak. He touched upon the importance of representation in higher education and aimed to inspire attendees to be the first in their field, not shying away from areas that lack diversity. This was then followed by a 7-membered panel featuring students from LSE, Keele, UCL, Portsmouth and Imperial along with some already working in their prospective fields. Nora Abdoun, a 4th year Imperial Medical student said, "speaking on the panel was an absolute honour. The students were so eager to learn and I couldn't help but think of how much my younger self would have benefited from an event like this throughout". Halima Shah, a PhD student from UCL, also had a positive experience, shaing that "being on the panel was such an exciting and rewarding experience, I found it so beneficial meeting the other panellists and hearing about their journeys and advice, Alhumdullilah [praise be to Allah]!". Pre-submitted and live questions were answered on a range of topics from advice on writing personal statements to how to pray when a lecture clashes with prayer timings. Congregational prayer was performed, and the day ended with the opportunity to network with students representing a range of subjects and degrees. The event received positive feedback; one submitted said, "This was a really good event and I'm really glad that I attended it. I have benefited both spiritually and academically. It helped me make a decision of what I actually want to study and the reason why. Jazakallah khair [may Allah reward you with goodness] for organising I look forward to attend[ing] more events that you guys organise. May Allah bless you all who came yesterday".

- Hafiza Irshad

Future Prospects

Given the ever-growing diversity of 21st Century Britain and by extension the landscape of higher education, where religion has become a prominent aspect of many a student’s identity, values and aspirations, a panel with focus on fusing ones religiously informed ethos with their academic and occupational aspirations is likely to be increasingly relevant and impactful. The MSP has the potential to go beyond simply providing insight into university life and applications by becoming a platform for Muslim students across the country to support and engage prospective students by allowing them to embrace their faith as an integral element of what informs their direction and, in doing so, capitalising on the opportunities that come with higher education. Be this through focused workshops or through talks tackling specific issues, the MSP has a versatility which will allow it to play a pivotal role in not only encouraging increasingly more young Muslims to pursue a university education but also by supporting them to maximise their time whilst there.

- Ismaeel Karmani