Have you heard of International Society of Muslim Women in Science (ISMWS)? ISMWS leads young Muslim women in India to higher education in STEM, involving them in research and developing them through recognition and networking.

The Society was founded at the Ohio State University by Prof. Sultana N. Nahar of Astronomy Department in 2010 to encourage Muslim women to STEM disciplines and professions. It has successfully created an extensive network of young women in the Middle East and South Asia by promoting science and international collaborations.  In 2017, Nahar received a US Department of State grant for the Women in STEM Roadshow that held 9 workshops in 6 cities.

In September 2022, a new chapter, ISMWS Kashmir, was inaugurated by Nahar at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) - Srinagar, Kashmir (image, right, shows participants). Professor Seemin Rubab, NIT's founding president, presided and members from various educational institutions in Kashmir were also present. ISMWS has about 400 members from 33 countries, with a significant number from Middle Eastern countries, with additional ISMWS chapters at OSU, East Carolina University, Aligarh Muslim University in India, and in Pakistan. Undergraduate female students in Middle Eastern countries are a priority for ISMWS which encourages STEM fields and higher education for young women. ISMWS supports their academic and professional development, such as providing information for preparation for graduate admissions in US universities. 

Prof. Sultana N. Nahar
APS Fellow, APS Woman Physicist of the Month, BPS Fellow, BAS Fellow
Dept of Astronomy, McPherson Lab, The Ohio State University
Website: http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~nahar
Co-Director: APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Education & Research of
OSU-AMU, 2013 - present