Schlumberger the Faculty for the Future Experience

Ayesha Majeed

Lecturer at BUITEMS University, Pakistan

Currently pursuing her PhD in Fog computing, UK

2018 TechWomen Fellow, USA

Ambassador of SingularityU Quetta , Pakistan

Member of SACNAS , The National Diversity in STEM Conference

Member of Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)

Passionate about start-ups, education, innovation and women leadership

Schlumberger Foundation The Faculty for the Future program, awards fellowships to women from developing countries to pursue PhD or Post-doctoral research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at leading universities worldwide.

Why did you choose Schlumberger the Faculty for the Future?

I was always certain that if I wanted to pursue higher education, I need to be persistent and determined to achieve my career goals. Being  woman, my journey of success has many ups and downs and receiving this award is a great honor for me. It tells me that I am having the potential for the future of our society to empower women and be empowered as a leader.

Indeed, I am representing my country, and often, people will remember my country before my name. But they’ll also remember that I am an FFTF awardee and that’s worth it. 

What do you study?

I am currently pursuing PhD in in Edge/Fog computing from Queen’s University Belfast, UK. With the advancement of mobile devices and technologies, the software for these devices is getting more and more complex too; from self-driving cars to Internet of Things, the mobile devices have to process enormous amount of information.

Processing this information within the device becomes challenging and time consuming. It will be impossible to only use existing techniques, such as only a centralized cloud data center, for processing large volumes of data and requests from sensors, tablets, mobile phones etc.

The purpose of research is to develop a rapid system that processes data geographically closer to the mobile devices rather than via the "Cloud" to improve the Quality of Service of the application.

What is the added value of this program in your career and life?

The benefits of availing this award are exponential and have a ripple effect on my PhD and career.  I now believe that there are numerous options that are open now and  I feel that whichever path I choose I have the confidence, skills and motivation to succeed. 

Pursuing a PhD is beyond acquiring specialized knowledge in my field. It includes benefits of problem solving, critical reasoning, thinking in depth from different angles and perspectives. The other advantage is from a social perspective, that includes the development of social skills such as communication and presentation skills, building personal relationships; and societal recognition. The last value from the personal development perspective such as the development of perseverance, and persistence.

What kind of challenges do you have?

I belong to one of the underrepresented areas (Baluchistan) of Pakistan. The visibility of Baluchistan women in education is very low with 70% of girls dropped from school. Women in our society don’t get enough opportunities for basic education due to problems like financial, tribal, social and political hardships. Gender difference is also a great problem.

In STEM-related fields, due to lack of opportunities and mentorship female face multiple hurdles and having the advice of a woman who has already “been there, accomplished that” can improve the potentials of women new to within their fields to remain the course and see that success is possible.

Could you tell us about the application process?

The application process of FFTF is a three-step process:

The first stage is the submission of online application form. The candidate must fill all the requirements of the online submission form which includes application form, reference letters and admission letter. The application will be selected based on the candidate academic performance, quality of the research proposal and its benefit for the home country, global leader influencers to influence women to pursue a career in scientific discipline.

Once a candidate has fulfilled all these requirements in the application form. In the second phase, the shortlisted candidate will be called for the interview. I rehearsed my answers (thinking I was smart enough to anticipate the questions) which I thought will be asked from me I did not had idea what sort of questions are going to be asked I searched online.

In the third phase, candidate will be notified for the selection of the award. During this whole process the wait was almost unbearable but ended up being rewarding and became one of the best experiences as the outcome was positive. 

What are your tips to 2020/2021 applicants?

The first tip I would like to give is to show passion for empowering other women in technology and to uplift the issues of your country and this must be reflected in the essays.

Research Proposal for this scholarship is very important firstly it justifies the necessity to study the research problem and its benefit for the home country. The research proposal must demonstrate the issue clearly, concisely and critically and its benefit for the home country.

Start early because the application form for FFTF is lengthy and time-consuming. During the process of applying to this scholarship, I revised my application around 21 times.

Related to the personal statement everyone has their own unique story and be yourself while writing the personal statement. Your story must reach the person, and they will feel it, connect with it.

 I hope this will inpsire someone who is sitting behind the screen and considering applying for this opportunity.

Happy to receive my TechWomen friend Ayesha on Salma Share to tell us her story in Schlumberger Foundation the Faculty for the Future.

Good Luck to Applicants 2020/2021

Apply to Schlumberger Foundation the Faculty for the Future before the deadline November 7^th ,2019

And fellow Ayesha’s priceless tips , Start NOW