Quantitative Finance Student Brings Gender Equity in Science to the World Stage

Those words, spoken at the United Nations by HRH Prince Zain El-Hashemite during the celebration of the 10th Annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science, are at the foundation of his lifelong commitment to philanthropy and service.

Now a junior Quantitative Finance Major in the Stevens School of Business, Zain has been involved in benevolent efforts from an early age. His family, the holiest family among the Arab and Muslim World and a direct descendent of the Prophet of Islam, Mohammed (S), has been committed to education and humanitarianism for centuries.

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His grandfather, HRH Prince Mohammed bin King Faisal (I) of Iraq El-Hashemite founded the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) in 1968. RASIT is global non-governmental organization with the mission to “inspire, inform, and enable equitable, diverse, and inclusive socio-economic development programs to improve the quality of life without compromising that of future generations.” Zain’s aunt, HRH Dr. Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, is the driving force behind the creation and adoption of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science Resolution at the United Nations General Assembly.

“The academy itself awards scholarships to thousands of students to pursue higher education,” Zain said. “My parents have always been educators, and that's a global focus of mine. RASIT is an organization that promotes education to younger students and tries to make sure that everyone has an equitable access to education, especially in science. My family believes that science is a way to push society forward, especially equity in science and making sure that things are done in an ethical way without resources being wasted. We only have what is on this earth, so we have to make sure to use it in a way that benefits all of humanity, rather than a select few people.”

Zain has spoken at the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly every year since its inception in 2014 to shed light on the lack of girls’ engagement in science and the need to encourage girls’ involvement at an early age by making science education available to all. His perspective turned words into a global movement called “Y4X,” a movement that not only would advocate for equity in science but also would address the role of boys and men in helping achieve such goal. The initiative, named for the chromosomal differences between men and women, officially launched at the UN during the 2018 International Day of Women and Girls in Science celebration.

“In a lot of places, girls are told that science is not for them, or education in general is not for them, and that they should take on other roles,” he said, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in scientific fields and highlighting the value of diverse perspectives.

For Zain, encouraging women and girls to pursue science isn’t just about fairness, it’s about unlocking new ways of thinking. "If girls and women are not given a chance to learn about that topic and see that different side, then we're losing a lot of valuable minds,” he said.

Realizing the massive global inequities surrounding women and girls in sciences at a young age, Zain made it his mission to ensure future generations continue to share their perspectives, collaborating towards a brighter future.

“I've personally taken a bit more of a side role on the science,” Zain explained. “When I was younger, I used to be very interested in chemistry. There are pictures of me doing experiments in my parents’ kitchen that a 10-year-old definitely should not be doing. As I grew up, I found interest in areas that would involve all walks of life. My work has mainly consisted of advocacy and working with governments to push these ideas and change people’s minds. I've sat down with a lot of UN officials and government officials, and I delivered to them the views of my generation on issues at hand. I speak a lot on my generation and share that we have a very useful view on a lot of things. And even though I just turned 20, I feel a bit older. There are a lot of people younger than me that have different views, so I always encourage leaders to listen to the younger generation.”

Zain’s affinity for helping people isn’t limited to a global stage. As philanthropy chair of his fraternity, Sigma Nu, he recently spearheaded a weeklong fundraising effort that donated $3,000 to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital. He has also worked on Toys for Africa, an initiative that donated over 300 toys for “AWA Cares” kids in Banjul, The Gambia, as well as creating first aid medical kits for clinics in earthquake devastated areas of Türkiye and Syria, and many other global humanitarian initiatives. Zain is also active on the Stevens campus, sharing his passion for music by DJing at several university events.

He also has an entrepreneurial side. Zain owns and operates a small music company, and, in addition to pursuing a career in finance, hopes to grow it into a larger operation. To achieve both goals, he will be able to lean on his experience managing client projects at a local IT company and his work as a research assistant at Bloomberg, investigating capital inflows and outflows and technology trends. This upcoming summer, he will work at the Cigna Group in the pharmacy benefit underwriting office.

While his direct involvement in the actual International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly will likely evolve with his professional responsibilities, Zain remains committed to the underlying cause.

“I'd like to see it remembered not as a movement, but a call to action,” he said, emphasizing that implementing this movement in schools at a young age is key. “I want to see young people taking charge and working towards whatever goals they have in mind, whether it's bringing clean water to every country or making sure that everyone has equitable access education.”