Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador – Chaudhary Fawad Ahsan

Why did you choose your course?

Course structure, modules, the faculty and university’s repute.

What have you enjoyed most about your course so far?

Albeit being technical in nature; the course provides its scholars a well-rounded understanding of the fundamental theoretical framework underpinning the physio-chemical phenomenon applicable to multiple streams of chemical engineering.  Being instructed by leading academics, exposure to state-of-the-art facilities including, but not limited to labs, pilot plant, simulation and modelling software programs as well as established industrial links in addition to emphasis on research were all lucrative factors that made me choose this course and it certainly lived up to the expectations.

What do you think about Sheffield as a city?

Sheffield as a city encapsulates the essence of an ideal university town. With proximity to idyllic English countryside, unique architecture, plenty of parks, a lively music scene and round the year events; a student is rarely out of options to go to in their spare time. Student-friendly environment.

Have you got any particular academic achievements or extra-curricular achievements you’d like to highlight?

Currently undertaking army officer training at the University Officer Training Corps as a reserve officer cadet learning infantry tactics and soldiering skills by covering module A as per the curriculum set by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. 

Elected as the NUS delegate of the University for academic year 2022/23 to represent the university as a delegate at the NUS national conference. Involvement in direct decision making and advocacy through voting on new motions and drafting reports that will impact students’ learning experience.

What are your ambitions after completing your degree?

Commissioning in the Central Superior Services of Pakistan, working towards poverty alleviation through effective management of resources and personnel under my jurisdiction. Aiming to implement transformational changes in the ministries of Science & Technology, Energy and Agriculture by inducting latest technology and incorporating skill-building exercises as a core part of the workforce training curriculum. Being a proponent of positive change and inspiring innovation through practical action.

Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador – Malik Haider Ali

Why did you choose your course?

Living within the digital age, the advancement in technology has always enticed my curious mind. Watching the use of robot as a vacuum on TV as a kid to its current use in robot-assisted surgery in order to perform complex procedures with enhanced precision and flexibility has inflamed my curiosity throughout the year, about the inner complexities of these robots and what made them so versatile to be able to reach the level of accuracy and precision otherwise not humanly possible. This has driven me to study mechatronic and robotics engineering as it integrates all branches of engineering allowing me to explore not only the external making of a machine but also its electrical and programming aspect.

What have you enjoyed most about your course so far?

I like my schedule being evenly spread throughout the week, which leaves me enough free time to enjoy my hobbies. The lecturers encourage us to challenge ourselves and take us on an educational journey far beyond the syllabus. The engineering course is at the forefront of research and innovation and being taught by the leaders in the field is truly exciting as they challenge us to develop unique solutions, igniting creativity within us and helping us follow in their brilliant footsteps.

What do you think about Sheffield as a city?

Coming from the concrete jungle of Dubai, the quiet, relaxing, and green city of Sheffield is like a breath of fresh air. Sheffield is almost designed for students from the student friendly accommodation to the variety of different cuisines on London Road and West Street that cater to people from all walks of life. Sheffield is also situated very close to Peak District National Park, the perfect place to enjoy the beautiful sites and get away from the stress of deadlines and soak in the gift mother nature has given us.

Have you got any particular academic achievements or extra-curricular achievements you’d like to highlight?

Before joining Sheffield, I had only heard about people creating robots that surround us but never thought I could ever create one myself but within a few months itself I have also successfully programmed my first robot to clear an obstacle course. Additionally, as a volleyball fan I finally got a chance to actually play it and thanks to the volleyball society I have improved my skills immensely and hope to join the university’s official team soon.

What are your ambitions after completing your degree?

In my final year, I hope to be able to join a pharmaceutical company that specialises in prosthetic technology. Because it has always been my passion to help people who are less fortunate than myself and I hope that the work I do to improve prosthetic technology will better the lives of many such people around the world.

What would you say to a younger student if they are considering studying engineering/science/maths at university?

Do not be afraid to fail, everything in science is made from failing constantly till you finally succeed. So, when you first come to university don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying new things.

MEET OUR IEA ALUMNI – Saqib Moosa

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Personal details
First Name:	Saqib
Last Name:	Moosa
Department(s):	Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Academic status (Undergraduate/Postgraduate):	Undergraduate
Course(s)/Qualification(s):	BEng
Graduation year:	2016
Nationality:	Pakistani
Employer details
Job title:	Electr  Electrical Distribution Systems Lead Engineer
Employer name:	Jaguar Land Rover
What does your employer do?	Designs and builds consumer vehicles
Location:	West Midlands – Coventry/Birmingham/Wolverhampton
Industry sector:	Automotive
Website:	Jaguarlandrover.com
About the job
What are your main responsibilities?	Leading a team of engineers in order to develop and deliver the main engine harness, which is the bundle of wires that collect all of the sensors, actuators, and other electrical components to the main Engine Control Unit.
Can you describe a typical day?	I come in fairly early (about 730 AM), review major issues for the day and then look at any urgent requests received. This is followed by a day of working with other team members on finding solutions to issues found on engines and coming up with long term fixes. Sometimes I will go down to the line to see an engine or vehicle and of course, sometimes I get the chance to drive a car.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your current role or your greatest career achievement so far?	The most rewarding aspect of my job is having a design I worked on out on a vehicle that is released and seeing those cars out on the street. I worked on the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace and did some acceleration testing for the car, seeing videos talking about the car’s excellent performance and knowing that I had a part to play in the making of the car is really satisfying.
Are there any challenging aspects? If so, what are they?	Yes, it can be quite hYes it can be quite high-pressured sometimes trying to find a solution with strict time const with strict time constraints and knowing that the company is losing money for every min money for every minute the line is stopped.
What skills/qualifications from your degree or other training do you make use of in your job?	Many of the CAD packages and software used are fairly similar to things used at university. The basic knowledge about how capacitors, inductors, etc. work is also relevant however, the most relevant skills are the soft skills gained in working with a team or figuring out difficult technical concepts. Once you figure out your learning style you can quickly understand many of the things required at work.
How have these skills or your course made a difference in your career?	I think I would really struggle to progress in my role and sell myself further without those skills. Having run meetings etc. during my time at university also means that I am more confident in my role.

University experience
Why did you choose to study at Sheffield rather than another institution?	I chose Sheffield because, in addition to the excellent academic rankings and facilities, it offered a community feeling. The city is very friendly, the people at the career fair in Riyadh were really welcoming, and overall I got the impression that this would be a city I could call my “home away from home”.
Did your time at Sheffield meet your expectations?	Yes it far exceeded them. Sheffield is an excellent place to live and work, and I would never have moved out if I had the opportunity to stay.
What were the best things about studying in the Department?	The facilities in the department, from libraries to laboratories are quite excellent. I particularly love the long opening hours of the libraries and I really enjoy working in the diamond. It feels very cutting-edge and futuristic.
Career information
Please give a brief history since leaving University	I left university and moved down to Coventry. My graduate scheme at Jaguar Land Rover was very interesting and I was able to work on various different projects, including two placements working on electric cars. I then transitioned to a lead engineer role working on the wiring harness for engines, and am pursuing a part time masters through the company focused on electric vehicle technologies.
Where do you see yourself in the future?	I see myself working in a quality focussed role in the future with a focus on electric or hybrid vehicles. I have really enjoyed my time at JLR and think I still have a lot to learn and opportunities to grow within the business.
Advice to students
If you could give one piece of advice to current students or recent graduates, what would it be?	Take as many opportunities as possible to do various different things, university gives you the opportunity to meet a huge amount of people and try lots of things, and it is the skills and experiences that you pick up through extra-curricular activities that are most valuable to you.

Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador – Shayan Shoaib

Hi everyone. I’m Shayan. I’ve come from Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistan; a country greatly renowned for its beautifully diverse and quaint culture. Classical and folk music, poetry, arts and literature lie at the heart of my country. Karachi, the city I belong to, is the centre of an absolutely extravagant and luxurious night life with expensive cafeterias all over, to maintain a healthy social life. Yet the 100% scrumptious street food of the city takes precedence over all restaurants and cafes out there. I’m a very simple person who finds happiness in the smallest and negligible things life has to offer me. I love making friends and meeting new people. In a nutshell, I love socialising. Food, travelling and exploring (different nations and cultures) are the kind of things I’m passionate about. 

Being a part of this university has transformed me into an extremely professionally responsible person, basically. Participating in different curricular and extracurricular activities and also sometimes heading most of them, has taught me the art of leading and managing enormous groups of people way too easily, without being worried to face any sorts of mismanagements. 

The four most prominent positions which I enjoy as the student of the UoS are: 

• Secretary of Pakistan Society, 
• Sheffield Mentor,

• Computer Science Student Ambassador
• International Engineering Ambassador

All of this did nothing but made me realise my worth. I managed to discover the hidden talents, which I, despite being in possession of, was unaware of. Managing the Pakistan society, working as a mentor and as an ambassador provides me with the opportunity to interact more and more with people of different cultures residing out there in different regions. Understanding their needs and fulfilling them, gives me great pleasure and satisfaction. Also, it enlarges my social circle and I get the opportunity to become friends with as many people as possible. Hence, yes; being a part of this outstanding institution is a great and unforgettable experience in itself.

Why the University of Sheffield? 

The University of Sheffield was my ultimate choice for two specific reasons: firstly; because of its excellent reputation. Being part of the Russell Group universities, UoS offers students with the best facilities to enhance their university experience not just in academics but in non-academic too. It prepares us in every aspect, to fearlessly face the practical world and difficult challenges it has to offer us. Secondly, the city has a low cost of living. It is one of the cheapest places to live in the UK. Last but not the least; Sheffield is perfectly calm and composed for a peace-loving person like me to dwell in.

Why Software Engineering? 

Software Engineering is one of the most emerging fields in the world. And, for a person as creative as me, it’s the most perfect field to fit in. My curiosity to discover and learn something new every day developed this passion for software engineering in me. Mastering various and quaint aspects of IT and being an expert of the programming language is an art within itself, which I very much willingly and desperately want to get hold of.

Advice for prospective students

This advice is for anyone who thinks this course is an all-time nightmare. Maybe they have a firm belief in the misconception that programming languages are difficult to learn or maybe they are not. However, they may think they won’t manage to learn it because they have no previous computer science background. Trust me, I too did not have a computer science background. Yet I managed to get a hang of it by working extremely hard, by not giving up the will of becoming something and proving myself. It is just a matter of slightly manoeuvring your brain to understand and absorb the entire syllabus content and most important to be focused on achieving an exemplary career.

Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador – Muhammad Hamza

 

My name is Muhammad Hamza, currently a Chemical Engineering undergraduate at The University of Sheffield. I am an international student from Pakistan and I have been a member of National Society of High School Scholars since 2015. 

Humans have natural tendency to move ahead, to explore and develop an interest in new and exciting endeavours and Chemical Engineering at Sheffield has an exciting, challenging and inspiring mission to help improve the quality of human life. This became an inspiration and motivation for me to pursue the subject. It also involves dealing with innovative engineering and manufacturing technology which gives hands-on innovative experience. 

The degree is one of those very few which do not limit you as it has a wide range of industry opportunities after graduation including: oil & gas industry, pharmaceutical, nuclear, agrochemical, power generation, advisory and consulting roles. During my time here, I have attended a BP International’s Insight Programme, completed a summer internship in Colombia and have been actively participating in extracurricular activities to enrich myself with transferable and interpersonal skills.

The University of Sheffield is a Red Brick University, part of the Russell Group Universities and is ranked among the top 100 Universities of the World. The Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering has an excellent reputation and is ranked amongst the top ones in the UK. The facilities are second to none with 24 hour access to the state of the art Diamond Building. The building comprises  of several laboratories, study spaces and the iForge – a space where you can bring your creative ideas into reality. The Diamond Pilot Plant has a dedicated continuous powder processing plant – the first of its kind in any UK university. Another facility – the Information Commons is an enormous library with a huge array of IT facilities. 

The University of Sheffield’s Students Union has been voted the best in the UK for the last 10 years and has more than 300 societies to choose from. One of the societies is the Engineers Without Borders where you can volunteer and get hands-on experience with the help of  friendly university staff members 

Sheffield – also known as the “Steel City” is beautiful and has the more trees per person than any other city in Europe. It is also the fourth largest city in England.  The Peak District offers the most beautiful views of across the countryside and is a must visit place. If you love shopping, Meadowhall shopping Centre is the perfect place to go.  There are a diverse and large number of excellent restaurants and takeaways in the city.

 In short, if you want to board a roller coaster for the ride of you life and enjoy your it beyond the realms of possibility, while simultaneously working towards a degree, from a reputable institute, The University of Sheffield should be your first choice.