The UK-based charity established this unique scholarship to continue the legacy of Professor Mirzakhani, one of the younger accomplished Iranian women, whose life was dedicated to breaking new grounds.

This year, the Scholarship was awarded to Ayda Afshar, a young but outstanding PhD candidate with several academic publications focussed on biomedical engineering. Advancing research on effective release mechanism for wound healing, she is exploring the latest on bone tissue regeneration in a multidisciplinary environment in order to optimise efficacy and impact on human health and wellbeing. She carries out this work through the UCL Mechanical Engineering Department Edirisinghe Biomaterials Processing Laboratory.

An award winner of the UCL PhD Mechanical Engineering Conference in 2021, her laboratory-based reports and research help shine a new light on bone mineral density with a particular focus on hip implants. The impact of her work extends well beyond boundaries of the UK, leading to collaborations with a range of important institutions in the United States, the Gulf countries and continental Europe.

In addition to her academic work, Ms Afshar is a community health volunteer and a scientific writer. Persia is proud to welcome this outstanding Iranian-descent scientist to its family of Mirzakhani scholars, and looks forward to her continued success during the years ahead.

Persia Educational Foundation established the Persia Mirzakhani Scholarship in remembrance of the first woman, an Iranian, to win the prestigious Fields Medal in mathematics, the late Stanford Professor, Dr. Maryam Mirzakhani. Each year, an independent panel selects the recipient of the Persia Mirzakhani Scholarship from among eligible applicants. The results are announced on 12 May, marking the anniversary of the birth of Professor Mirzakhani (12 May 1977 – 14 July 2017). The scholarship is designed to empower Iranian-descent women studying sciences, technology, engineering or mathematics at UK’s top research university, UCL.

In addition to Persia Mirzakhani scholarship, the foundation offers the Abdolreza Ansari Scholarship. The scholarship is designed to support the education of students of Iranian descent, of any age or citizenship, enrolled in a Master or Doctorate programme in human rights or public service at an internationally accredited university in the UK or beyond.

Persia Educational Foundation is a non-governmental UK-registered charity. Its mission is to provide scholarships and educational opportunities to Iranian descent students throughout the UK. To support more students, please contribute to Persia’s Scholarship Scheme. Please note 100% of your donations plus the additional 25% Gift Aid are awarded to eligible students studying at UK universities. In this manner, for every Pound of your donation, £1.25 are donated to an Iranian descent student. 

To find out more and arrange contributions, please email us at: info@persia.education.