Dr. Imrana Ashraf Zahid

I am first Pakistani woman who did PhD in Quantum Optics. Presently I am affiliated with Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. I am Senior Associate at The Abdus Salam Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) from 2019-2024), senior member of OPTICA , SPIE and managing director of International Commission for Optics in Pakistan.
I have a very long association ICTP, in the past 35 years I visited as a student, as an associate, as a tutor, as TRIL fellow, and now as lecturer to winter activity in Optics since 2007.
In 2016 I established Active learning in Optics (ALO), a self-funded program under the umbrella of ICTP and QAU to bring physical sciences to underprivileged high schools and college girls in remote areas of Pakistan. https://www.facebook.com/opticsworkshops
In 2020 when the global pandemic was greatly impacting the social nature of science and collaboration. In order to reach out masses I felt the need to gather our academia and help our younger generation: this leads to the foundation Pak-ICTP Alumni Society (PIAS). It aims to nurture research collaborations, organize scientific outreach activities, provide career and vocational mentorship and help to develop active academic linkages between Pakistani and Italian educational institutes. https://www.facebook.com/PakICTPAlumni

I do research in Atom, Quantum and classical optics though I am not very active researcher. I always prefer to be an educator, in reality a friendly educator. I have been working on outreach education from past eight years. Mostly I focus on public sector girl’s school, colleges and universities. I have a group of volunteers, who help me during these hands on outreach activities.

International Awards:

(a) WINNER OF ICO/ICTP PRIZE FOR YEAR 2004. Url: https://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/prizes-awards/icoictp-gallieno-denardo-award/winners/icoictp-winners-2004.aspx

(b) SPIRIT OF SALAM AWARD 2017 Url: https://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/prizes-awards/spirit-of-ab