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.

Celebrating Eid at the University

Monday, 20 April 2015

By: Usman Sami Khan

As Secretary for Pakistan Society at The University of Sheffield, a lot of work is centred around catering to religious celebrations, one of which is Eid. This was our first event of the academic year 2014/2015. Eid has never been celebrated properly, especially not in the Students’ Union where every other cultural occasion has been celebrated, such as Diwali, Christmas, etc.  PakSoc’s Eid Milan was for the first time being celebrated in the Students’ Union at Uni Central in a truly new and inclusive fashion. To encourage inclusivity and diversity in the society, members of The University of Sheffield Islamic Circle, ArabSoc, Bangladesh Society, Indian Society, and Malaysian Student Association were invited, who brought their respective members to the event.  It was a sold out event as the full capacity of Uni Central was reached. 150 individuals attended the event from different cultures and races, marking PakSoc’s biggest event in years.

The night started off with a small introduction along with a slideshow presentation to convey why Eid is celebrated to non-Muslims and the Islamic background behind it. This was a very interesting and captivating talk which gave an insight into the religious background behind the celebration. After the talk was over, attendees were made aware of the other fun activities taking place at the event – a photobooth with various props was set up for attendees to take home pictures as remnants of the event, while a henna stall was set up for females to get henna applied on their hands. This gave attendees a good chance to indulge in the Pakistani culture, furthering the society’s aim of internationalization.  A Nasheed was recited by SMSA on the occasion, which enthralled the audience with its melodious harmonies, while PakSoc Sheffield and the Indian Society collaborated to sing a mashup of Pakistani, Hindi, and English songs to keep everyone in the room entertained. A three course meal was served, which included traditional Pakistani dishes such as qeema, sajji, and sweet dishes such as kheer. ArabSoc engaged the audience in their traditional dance performance, which got everyone up on their feet and whirling about. The night was concluded with a fashion show, with attendees displaying their traditional Eid outfits and romping the catwalk to win the title of the best dressed male and female of the night. A bit of initial pushing was needed for this one, but after a few people had gotten up to walk the stage, we saw quite a few attendees eager to walk the ramp!

The event turned out to be a much bigger success than we had imagined, with people from different races and cultures attending the event; whether Muslims or not. We were able to spread a positive message about Islam while setting a light mood for everyone to socialize and get to know more members of the society. This just goes to show how very welcoming the University is to students from different faiths, and helps out anyone who wishes to try to integrate students.

My Summer Placement Experience

Monday, 20 April 2015

By: Usman Sami Khan

After finishing through with the first year of university, I was looking to find a summer placement back home in Pakistan. Fortunately enough, I managed to secure a placement at Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan’s national flag carrier. This was a two month long summer placement, from June till September. In the scorching summer temperatures of around 40°C, I started off my placement in the month of Ramadhan, a period of fasting from dawn till dusk for Muslims. As imagined, the field work pertaining to the placement really took the energy out of me during such high temperatures while observing fasts.

The placement involved students being divided into groups and being rotated around Base Maintenance, Line Maintenance and the Engine Overhaul Shop. Seeing an aircraft with such highly precisioned engines in front of your eyes was a sight I cannot describe into words. While working at Base Maintenance, I was able to witness aircraft undergoing checks based on the class of check the aircraft was due to undergo depending on cycles and flight hours, namely the A, B, C, and D check. I also had a chance to work in Line Maintenance, witnessing how aircraft are serviced on ground before being sent off for flights. I have also worked extensively in the engine shop, where engines used to come in for shop visits and go through the rigorous process of being checked for snags before being sent off for service. After cleaning and NDT inspection, any components found that required machining or repair were sent off to the Machine shop where processes such as lathing, boring, and drilling were done to make the component serviceable again. This allowed me to witness Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) machines, including the CNC Vertical Turret Lathe and the CNC horizontal boring machine. After repair and modification, parts were sent to the general assembly area to be put together. The engines were then sent to the test bench for final clearance after verifying errors.

After having rotated around the aforementioned areas, we were also sought to assist ground engineers in helping repair any sort of snags that would come up. This gave us a hands-on approach and helped put our knowledge to use. PIA also services aircraft and engines for the other privately owned airlines in Pakistan, and therefore I also had a chance to go and help out engineers working on an Air Indus aircraft. Since the shops were located very close to the runway of the Karachi Airport, seeing aircraft taking off and landing in front of a matter of a few meters distance was simply breathtaking!

This placement provided me with the chance to put thermodynamics and fluid mechanics theories to practicality while learning about different aspects of aerodynamics, fluid hydraulics, and pneumatics. Apart from the obvious networking and teamwork skills, this unique experience provided me with an opportunity to learn extensively about the theory of flight and a basic gas turbine engine. This experience allowed my confidence to flourish while working in a team of interns in a very competitive environment.

 

Why choose UK?

Thursday, 5 February 2015

By Usman Sami Khan

The UK is home to a wide array of multicultural individuals, all living together in a nutshell. This diversification leads to people from different communities interacting with one another to live in an environment of peace and harmony. Pakistanis, in particular, are welcomed with great warmth. There are Pakistani societies in many universities across UK, including the Pakistan Society at The University of Sheffield. This makes it particularly easy for Pakistani students to adjust with the new surroundings, away from home. This is one of the major reasons why students, in particular Pakistanis, tend to be more inclined towards the UK as a destination for pursuing higher studies, where they can experience multiculturalism as well as practice their religion in a liberal environment.

The UK is home to the most renowned universities of the world. Such rankings are testament of the fact that UK education standards have been consistently high and universities such as The University of Sheffield are seen as being one of the most prestigious universities in the world – both in terms of education as well as student satisfaction. UK, and in particular The University of Sheffield, is a world leader in terms of research and this success is reflected in the world rankings. All in all, this makes it an ideal place for Pakistani students to pursue higher education as they are exposed to ideas and discoveries in a very open and welcoming environment where they can express their thoughts freely.

The UK also offers a wide range of scholarships to international students. These scholarships are available at both the Undergraduate, as well as at the Postgraduate level. At the Undergraduate level, some of the highly prestigious scholarships being offered include the Pakistan Undergraduate Merit Scholarships at the University of Sheffield. These scholarships tend to be a source of great affinity for students on the lookout for saving some money off from the highly burdensome tuition and living fee all across universities in UK. Some of these scholarships directed towards Pakistani students serve as an incentive for many capable and deserving students to be able to afford world class education abroad at their dream universities. Having personally received the Pakistan Undergraduate Merit Scholarship, it is safe to say that such scholarships can actually change around the finances involved in studying abroad drastically, which is the sole purpose that I have been able to study at The University of Sheffield. (Find more about them here).

UK degrees at the Undergraduate level are also confined to a 3 year programme as opposed to a 4 year programme in other countries, having the benefit of being cost-effective and time efficient. UK degrees are internationally recognized and students have the advantage of being able to work anywhere in the world with a degree from a university in the UK.

The influx of Pakistanis to the UK for higher education is definitely due to an amalgamation of factors which together constitute the various reasons why Pakistanis choose to prefer UK over other countries.  

“Whatever the reason may be, the crux lies in the fact that those students have secured a brighter future for themselves, as well as for the nation that gave them their identity – Pakistan.”