M.Sc. Electronics and Electrical Engineering Graduate Aiman Malik from Pakistan Shares Her Journey of Studying at Durham University, United Kingdom

Hi! I am Aiman Malik, and I grew up in Karachi, Pakistan’s ‘city of lights’ and its industrial hub. Growing up in Karachi meant being surrounded by the chaos of bustling streets, mouth-watering food options (yes, I may be a bit biased!), and a sprawling infrastructure that somehow kept the city running and millions of people connected and powered.

The curiosity of how this massive and complex system functioned led me to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from one of the top engineering universities of Pakistan, the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).

British Council Women in STEM Scholarship Details

To pursue my Master's degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Durham University, UK, I was awarded the prestigious ‘British Council Women in STEM Scholarship’, which is a fully-funded scholarship that includes monetary support, tuition fee, living stipend, travel and visa costs, health coverage fees, and English language support, worth a minimum of £40,000.

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

I was also awarded the fully-funded China Scholarship Council(CSC) Scholarship at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, for a Master's degree.

Educational Background

I earned my Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from NUST with a 3.88/4.00 GPA and then graduated with a Master’s in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Durham University with a Distinction.

During my undergraduate studies, I built a strong foundation in semiconductor physics and electronic circuits. My final year project on optical wireless communication systems gave me a hands-on experience with systematic design and optimization. In the course ‘Advanced Electronics’, learning about thin-film devices and their potential to address electronic waste made me realize I wanted to specialize in sustainable electronics. The strong theoretical grounding at NUST and a passion to research in sustainable electronics led me to apply for a postgraduate degree in this field.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Institutions?

How Did You Find Information About British Council Women in STEM Scholarship and Institutions?

Information about scholarships and institutions can be found on the university pages, social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook, and also government websites.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I took the IELTS test to provide the English Language Proficiency proof. I prepared for the test from the official website of IELTS by the British Council.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the British Council Women in STEM Scholarship?

To apply for the scholarship, all documents need to be prepared properly. The application needs to be written creatively and precisely, in a way that will make you stand out from the rest of the applicant pool.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe that, along with my exceptional academic record, my extra-curricular activities made my application stand out. As Chairperson of IEEE Women in Engineering at NUST, I led initiatives to support women in an environment where we represented less than 10% of students. We organized technical workshops, mentorship programs, and advocacy campaigns to make engineering more accessible and inclusive. On the research side, I presented at the 9th IEEE Symposium on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing in Malaysia (2021) and won a Silver Medal at the IEEEP All Pakistan Students Seminar (2020). These experiences taught me that being a woman in STEM means not just doing the work, but also being visible and opening doors for others.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I would seek mentorship earlier and not try to apply to a lot of different places at once.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

The advice that I always give to people applying for scholarships is show your motivation in the best way possible. Think of it as your TED-talk and make yourself stand out from the crowd.