Second-year undergraduate student and London Mathematical Society (LMS) Student Representative, Ms Nicole Kirk, with Dr Rehan Shah (LMS Academic Representative) have been jointly awarded a Student Representative Activities Grant by the London Mathematical Society for organising a student-led mathematics afternoon networking event aimed at bringing together new incoming first-year and returning undergraduate students studying mathematical science degrees (mathematics, physics, engineering etc) to provide them with the opportunity to connect with their peers, learn about the London Mathematical Society, its activities and opportunities to becoming a professional member and take part in a fun, mathematics-inspired quiz activity.

The in-person event will be held in late November or early December 2025 on campus at Queen Mary and will be completely free to attend and open to all students. It will commence with students networking with each other over food and refreshments to meet fellow attendees from both varying STEM degree disciplines as well those from different undergraduate year groups. This will be followed a dedicated session led by Dr Shah and Nicole that will provide an overview of the London Mathematical Society, outlining its role in supporting students and professionals, the benefits of obtaining student membership, and involvement opportunities for students through LMS meetings, events and conference events.

The final part of the afternoon will involve student attendees partaking in a lively, mathematics-inspired pub quiz by forming small groups of teams. The quiz will mix problem-solving, logic, and fun trivia, making it inclusive for students from varying STEM degree backgrounds. A prize will also be awarded to the winning team. The event will be advertised by Dr Shah and Nicole through various mailing list and social media platforms of a variety of STEM-related students societies across Queen Mary e.g. Engineers Without Borders, Mathematics Society, Women of STEM and Electronics Society etc to invite a wide range of student society members to the event.

Dr Rehan Shah was extremely impressed by Nicole Kirk's dedication to working together with him and taking an active role in learning about grant writing, event organisation and logistics management stating that the experience truly showcases how "collaborations at QMUL truly embody the mantle of staff-student co-creation" with the "enthusiasm and commitment of student leaders like Ms Kirk emerging as a highlight in this professional development endeavour."