Masters student studying Astrophysics in Germany, with 7+ years of teaching experience - Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics All Grade All Boards.

Find out more about Faizan

• Tell us more about your subject. How did you develop an interest in this field?

  I have always had a love for science growing up and nothing fascinated me more than the vastness of the universe and knowing about the mystery hidden deep into the cosmos. As a kid, I spent countless hours buried deep in space books and talking about black holes, wormholes, and the bootless void to anyone who would lend their ears. In high school, I really started liking solving physics problems and doing lengthy derivations.
  
  Now, I have shared the stage with Nobel Laureates and given seminars to a room full of 2000 people. I am constantly surrounded by people making immense strides in their respective subjects and contributing to the growth of knowledge. I too can see myself publishing research papers and contributing to subjects I have grown to love. I consider myself to be immensely lucky to have carried forward that childhood passion so far. It is what drives me even today!

• What or who is the motivation behind you choosing to teach & why?

  Teaching and talking about things that I love come naturally to me. My siblings will tell you stories about where I used to make them sit for long durations of time and talk about interesting things I learnt about the universe or the people who have helped discover those things. I started teaching as a hobby in school when I would help my niece and nephews and neighbors. Then as opportunities arose, I turned it into a part-time job during college.
  
  Beyond doubt, my two biggest inspirations are Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman. They were amazing scientists and even better science communicators, they were everything I want to be. I hope to do justice to them through my professional endeavors.

• How does your work help society?

  On all my birthdays as a kid, the one gift that my father gave me predictably was a Parker Pen. I never understood for a long time, the pen themselves were not too great and were high maintenance and they were often too big for my small fingers at the time. It was only on my 18th birthday did I realize what he was trying to tell me all these years. The pen was a metaphor for the gift of education. I am fortunate right now to be passing that metaphorical pen to others.
  Everytime I explain a concept of Physics or a Chemical reaction, I try to do it in a way that not only clarifies the student's understanding of the topic but also fills them with wonder about nature, science, and the world around us. Every sparkle in the eyes that comes when you understand something profound about the universe is a win for me.
  I try to leave my students with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe around them.

• If you had to think of a role model for your work, who do you think of & why?

  A role model for me apart from the two greats mentioned before would be Mr. Gourav Banerjee. I met him in college when I was in my first year and he was pursuing an MPhil degree in Astrophysics. A lot of the skills that I have and that I constantly use in my teaching methods, I owe to him. He helped me prepare speeches for presentations, and he taught and demonstrated the art of public speaking and selling a story in science. He has mentored me over the years in the field of academia and the soft skills around it. Gourav is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Astrophysics and has given more than a thousand public seminars on Astronomy and authored several books on Astronomy.

• Tell us about your hobbies outside teaching.

  During my free time, I like to play Table Tennis, and watch movies - my favorite genre is war and aesthetic movies (DM for recommendations). I am also learning German.

• Do you have an anecdote to tell us about your student or professional life?

  One of my most cherished memory is with Sir Anthony James Legget who won the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on Superfluidity. I had a chance to talk to him for quite some time and I asked him this question - "What advice would you give me as someone who is starting research in Physics?". To which he replied, "You must have a passion for the thing that you are studying and working on! If you don't have that then giving up would be easy the moment things get tough, but a passion will keep you driven more than commitment!".