This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features an in-depth interview with the engineer and pilot Maya Ghazal, who fled from the war in Syria and arrived in the UK in 2016. Despite facing prejudice when she first tried to resume her education, Ghazal gained a degree in aviation engineering and pilot studies and is now a graduate research engineer at the UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry. There, she works on aeronautics for space in support of the UK’s national space strategy.

Ghazal is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency). She speaks to science journalist Anna Demming about her journey from war-torn Damascus to the UK, how she overcame barriers faced by refugees and how she found an unexpected passion for all things aeronautical.