Cambridge Mathematician’s visit
Our students were recently treated to an illuminating visit from Dr. Matthias Dörrzapf, Director of Scholarships and International Programmes at the University of Cambridge. During his talk, Dr. Dörrzapf emphasized the power of mathematics to model and predict real-world phenomena.
He shared fascinating examples such as James Maxwell’s equations, which mathematically predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves decades before they were empirically detected. As Dr. Dörrzapf explained, “It was mathematics that told us these waves are there.”
Our students learned that mathematics underpins discoveries not just in physics, but also in economics and other fields. According to Dr. Dörrzapf, the close mentorship model at Cambridge encourages undergraduates to participate in cutting-edge research projects, often leading to innovation.
Several of Dr. Dörrzapf’s former students have gone on to important careers in areas like artificial intelligence, engineering startups, and finance. He attributes this partially to the broad foundation and interdisciplinary emphasis of the Cambridge curriculum.
Overall, our students found the talk incredibly motivating. Dr. Dörrzapf’s passion for mathematics was contagious, sparking plenty of curiosity.