Reconnect with us and each other! An update from STAMSA

Alumni Relations
Saturday 25 November 2023

Raahim Zafar (MA 2020) is a Strategic Communications and Development Consultant who works with organisations and communities across the UK, particularly with The Faith and Belief Forum. Sara Ahmed is the STAMSA alumni representative, currently in the final year of her MChem (Hons) Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. Sara and Raahim work closely with STAMSA to host and connect future and current alumni through careers, social and other events. Here, they share an update and call for fellow students and alumni to connect.

The St Andrews Muslim Students Association (STAMSA) has flourished in recent years. It has grown from a small student society rarely filling the spaces in the Mansefield building (the Chaplaincy in St Andrews) to quite literally overflowing!

four people with a book
Raahim Zafar (MA 2020), Khadeeja Khalid (MA 2018, Revd Dr Donald MacEwan (University of St Andrews Chaplain), and Hassan Ali Ahmed (BSc 2014)

Part of that growth has been the development of a bespoke alumni network to connect Muslim and non-Muslim alumni who were once involved with the Society with current students, to develop relationships and to create opportunities to thrive academically, professionally and spiritually.

group of people
STAMSA organises events, including alumni workshops

Over the past 12 months, the alumni committee has designed a STAMSA website, run three careers events, organised a summer retreat…and we have more in the works. If you are part of the St Andrews Muslim alumni community or you have ever attended or supported at a STAMSA (formerly Islamic Society) event, be it a dinner, Friday prayers, charity bucketing or hikes away in the Scottish mountains, we would love to hear from you.

We are particularly keen to hear from alumni who can share their knowledge and memories of ISoc before 2015 to help us future proof the society by collating and digitising its history. The society would love to reconnect and hear more from you and invite you back to St Andrews to share your experiences with current students. It would also be great to see you at future events, so please get in touch.