Meet KAUST New Student: Aniq Ur Rahman

About

By Taruna Rapaka

Aniq Ur Rahman joined KAUST in January 2021 as an M.S./Ph.D. candidate and member of the Communication Theory Lab under the supervision of Prof. Mohamed-Slim Alouini. He holds a bachelor's degree in electronics and communication engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT Durgapur), India. 

After graduating from NIT Durgapur, he joined Qualcomm as an associate systems engineer. He also participated in the ALICE experiment (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) as a research intern at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Switzerland.

Before joining KAUST, Rahman worked as a project assistant at IISc 5G Testbed, Indian Institute of Science, where he contributed to the Open-Air Interface project, a 5G software alliance for democratizing wireless innovation. He first joined KAUST as a visiting student and was amazed by the University's research atmosphere. Notably, he was impressed by the cutting-edge research into wireless systems conducted by the Communication Theory Lab.

What was your main subject during your undergraduate degree? Why did you choose it?

During my undergraduate studies, my main subjects were related to electronics and wireless communications. However, I was inclined towards the communications side, as I found the signals quite interesting to visualize and play with.

When did you first become interested in electrical and computer engineering? What are your research interests?

During school days, my three most favorite subjects were physics, mathematics, and computer programming. I believe liking this combination of subjects got me interested in pursuing electrical and computer engineering.

My research interest lies at the intersection of wireless systems and multi-agent interaction.

What do you do in your spare time? What are you passionate about?

In my spare time, I either create urban-sketching artworks or practice calligraphy in an ancient language. Sometimes I re-create my favorite restaurant dishes at home with the help of YouTube videos. I am passionate about science communication and believe that research papers should be written in an easy-to-read manner.

What is your future outlook?

My future plan is to lead my own research group one day.

Can you give a piece of advice to students who plan to pursue a M.S./Ph.D. at KAUST?

The courses at KAUST are mathematically rigorous, so it is advisable to brush up on the basic concepts before joining.