From BracU to Oxford: Nazmoon’s Stellar Mathematical Journey

Nazmoon Falgunee Moon, a 2021 BracU graduate from the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MNS), recently completed her postgraduate degree from the University of Oxford with distinction. Pressured by her family, Moon began her higher studies as a Medical student. After two years, she joined BracU because of her unbound passion for Physics, which later turned into Mathematics.

At BracU, Moon contacted Professor Syed Hasibul Hassan Chowdhury (Coordinator, Mathematics Program) and Professor Dr. Tibra Ali (Associate Dean, Research, School of Data Sciences). Under whom she took advanced mathematical courses such as Category theory, Differential Geometry, General Relativity, and many more. These made her fall in love and eventually minor in Mathematics. Moon felt, “Mathematics is a beautiful subject that explains the underlying of everything.” During her undergraduate studies, she worked on Category theory under the supervision of Professor Chowdhury. Moon’s undergraduate thesis was titled, “Categorical Aspects of Axiomatic 2D Topological Quantum Field Theories.” Her inexplicable academic record earned her the prestigious “Optiver Foundation” Scholarship for a postgraduate degree in Mathematics and Foundation of Computer Science at Mansfield College, University of Oxford. 

As famous Mathematician George Cantor stated, “The essence of mathematics lies in its freedom.” Moon’s journey embodies the spirit that brought her from being cast in a Medical school to pursuing her passion. Even to this day, her story inspires numerous young Physics and Mathematics enthusiasts, especially girls in STEM fighting to live their dreams.

As Nafisa Karim Nazlee (Freshman, MNS), who similarly enrolled in BracU from a Medical School shares, “Moon apu’s journey deeply resonates with me. Her courage to chase her dreams inspires me and countless others to pursue our own, no matter how unconventional the path may seem.”

Currently, Moon is working as a research assistant to Professor Chowdhury at BracU, with a research interest in Quantum Foundation. Her advice for the young students is simple- “Do the coursework properly and study a lot.”