Mai Sherif Hafez

Photo of M. Sherif Hafez outside the department
Current Workplace
Faculty of Economics and Political Science – Cairo University -Egypt
Current Role
Assistant Professor / Lecturer at the Department of Statistics
My Mathematics Success Story is...

“But why Statistics?!!” This is a question I have been asked hundreds of times, almost every time I introduce myself and my background to anyone new. The answer has always been simple and has always been the same: “…because I love it!” I have always been passionate about statistics and I have really always enjoyed studying it, starting with my undergraduate studies at Cairo University where the class of statistics never exceeded twenty students. After I graduated, I decided to apply for an MSc in statistics at LSE, and I was lucky enough to get admitted and to secure funding too. That was one of the best years of my life! I got it all: London, LSE, and statistics! Spending a year away from my family and my home country (Egypt) seemed a bit scary at first, but soon I realised it was a real eye-opener to lots of experiences, a wide variety of new things and diverse friends and cultures. I will always be grateful for my loving family for encouraging me to make such a step. By the end of that year, I realised I hadn’t had enough; not enough of London, not enough of LSE and definitely not enough of statistics. So I applied for a Phd, but didn’t have funding at the time so I returned to Egypt. Three weeks later I met with my husband, a year later we got married! So after all, everything does happen for a reason! One year later, I went back to London to start my PhD at LSE, this time with my husband who was super supportive and decided to leave his great job in Cairo to accompany me through my academic journey. Again London was so welcoming to both of us. We had the time of our lives, with its challenges, ups and downs, but we did enjoy every single day. It turned out that studying for a PhD is quite a challenge. It needs a lot of effort, patience, and support. But thanks to my amazing supervisor, colleagues, friends and staff at the Department of Statistics at LSE who made it a genuine life experience. After three years of the course, I had my first baby girl (Amina). And it does not come as a surprise that a PhD with a baby is even much more challenging. Finally, I was granted my PhD in Summer 2015 with a cute two-year old baby as a by-product. Back to Cairo University, I am now a lecturer at the Department of Statistics, where I first graduated, trying to transfer as much as I can of the amazing whole journey I’ve been through, expecting my second child and still facing the same question: “...but why statistics?!”

Categories
Women in mathematics
Racial diversity
Caring responsibilities (including children)
Immigration/working and living internationally