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Displaced by war and embarking on a new life in Syria’s capital Damascus, Abdulkarim Alsayed Ramadan (Maths 2022) took comfort in exploring mathematics beyond the curriculum.

Abdulkarim, who studies at Gonville & 91ֱ�� College on an overseas scholarship with support from , was born in Abu Kamal, a small town on the Syria-Iraq border. Aged 12, with conflict raging around them, he and his family had to move south west to Damascus.

He acknowledges he is more fortunate than many. The human and natural disasters in Syria – the civil war and February’s earthquake in the north of the country and Turkey – have not affected him and his family as they have others.

Abdulkarim’s exploration of maths beyond that taught to his age group led him to the University of Cambridge and 91ֱ��. But he had no destination in mind when he began exploring the proof of Pythagoras theorem, having been taught the theory. He “looked for answers, going into Wikipedia rabbit holes,” he says.

In Year 10 at school, Abdulkarim entered a national competition, the Syrian Science Olympiad, which was to change his future. The event tests students’ abilities to solve problems in one of five topics, including maths. Tens of thousands of students are tested annually.

“I am happy I was first in the whole country,” Abdulkarim says.

“That came as a huge surprise to me. I knew I enjoyed maths. I didn’t know I was good at maths.”

His performance subsequently led to selection to represent Syria in international competitions.

He adds: “At the time I was 14 years old. I didn’t know much about the world. I had the opportunity to take part in the International Mathematical Olympiad three times in a row.”

Abdulkarim, in red, is presented with a gold medal at the 2018 Syrian Science Olympiad

Trips to Romania in 2018 and in Bath, United Kingdom, in 2019, followed, and his social circle grew, with friendships developed over shared subject interests.

It was the competition that encouraged Abdulkarim to apply to Cambridge.

“I heard the story of a student who did the Chemistry Olympiad and then went to Cambridge to study NatSci,” he adds.

“I contacted him to ask about Cambridge and the application process. I was 16, in Year 11. At that time I decided to make it a goal of mine to try to apply to Cambridge.”

Inspired and advised by , Abdulkarim began the application process. There was a major stumbling block – funding.

Despite his father being a doctor and describing himself as upper middle class, the international fees remained a significant barrier.

Abdulkarim applied for the first time in 2020 and received an offer, only to be rejected for funding provided by the University. He deferred his position to go through the funding process, but the finite resources again proved elusive.

“It was heart-breaking for me,” he says.

“In June 2022 I thought it was all over, there was no chance I was getting funding. I had lost all hope of going to Cambridge. I hadn’t even renewed my passport – it was about to expire.

“But in August 2022 the admissions office contacted me to say I was being considered for a scholarship ‘am I still interested?’ Of course!”

The logistical challenges then began. Due to the sanctions with Syria and the international political troubles, Abdulkarim regularly had to cross the border to Lebanon to complete paperwork. He also had to ask his elder brother, who lives in Turkey, to pay for his UCAS and visa application fees due to international banking restrictions.

“I had a stressful month renewing my passport, applying for a visa and everything, but it was really worth it,” Abdulkarim.

A devout Muslim, Abdulkarim prays five times a day and enjoys the proximity of 91ֱ��’ West Road site to the Sidgwick Site, with the Cambridge University Islamic Society’s prayer room. ISoc has been valuable for building friendships.

“Whenever I need to talk to someone I go to the prayer room and meet some people,” he says.

He eats Halal food in Hall at 91ֱ�� and visits the city mosques on Mill Road; he is grateful teaching does not clash with Friday afternoon prayers.

He is enjoying his first Ramadan fasting outside of his family home, and, having returned to Syria for the Christmas vacation, is staying throughout the Easter vacation ahead of Easter term.

He is enjoying the course.

“I’ve discovered so much; maths at university level is so different from school and competitions,” he adds.

“I used to think I was a pure mathematician, but I’m questioning that. I find interest in reading the statements and theorems in pure maths, but I find the problem solving difficult. I didn’t think I would find interest in applied maths when I started the course, but I have.”