Headshot of Edzwan Redza Anwar

Proud international Brighton Effect family member celebrates diversity at the university

Civil Engineering alum Edzwan Redza Anwar shares his views on the importance of diversity and tells us more about his work in sustainability with the Islamic Development Bank.

Edzwan, an Operations Team Leader (Energy) for the Islamic Development Bank, recalls how his time at Brighton as an international student helped bring out his confidence and meet people from different backgrounds.

He shared with us the importance of being open-minded, respecting and valuing diversity and how his time at Brighton helped hone his skills communicating ideas and collaborating with others.
Being an international student at Brighton

Continue reading “Proud international Brighton Effect family member celebrates diversity at the university”
Ada headshot looking at the camera

Civil engineering graduate Ada tells us how Brighton provided the tools for life as a graduate 

Civil Engineering graduate Ada Nwadigo is managing director of her own company, Jona Infrastructure, and credits her time at Brighton with the tools to set her up for life as a graduate.

Ada tells us more about her time at Brighton and the combination of practical and theoretical aspects of her degree, engaging and working with a diverse range of people, opportunities to improve employability with industry contacts and the support she received from staff at the university.

Why choose the University of Brighton?

“My journey to the University of Brighton was influenced by a family connection and a deep fascination with the course content. My grandfather had studied Mechanical Engineering in the same town of Brighton, and his experiences had a profound impact on me. Moreover, the prospect of studying in the vibrant city of Brighton was highly appealing.

“What truly attracted me to the university and this degree was the course content itself. I found it to be incredibly compelling, especially when compared to what other universities had to offer. The opportunity to delve into technical subjects and work on cutting-edge technology excited me immensely. I believed that this course would equip me with the skills necessary to make a significant and positive impact on the world.”

Continue reading “Civil engineering graduate Ada tells us how Brighton provided the tools for life as a graduate “
Tom King at graduation on Brighton seafront

Civil engineering graduate success

Congratulations to Tom King who graduated with a BEng Civil Engineering (Degree Apprenticeship) in 2022 and has successfully passed his Professional Review End Point Assessment to be registered as an Incorporated Engineering with the ICE.

Find out more about Tom, his time at Brighton and what he is doing now.

Brighton, civil engineering and a degree apprenticeship
I chose the University of Brighton because of the stature of the university and the offer of a part-time degree apprenticeship programme. The apprenticeship route was a good option for me as it allowed me to work whilst studying part-time, which meant that I was gaining workplace experience alongside academic knowledge. It also meant that I could earn whilst I learned, allowing me to progress personally as well as professionally.

The civil engineering course was well structured and involved a variety of modules, ranging from structural analysis to project management. It’s given me a range of knowledge that I can apply to the workplace. I would recommend it; the variety of modules allows students to try their hand at different aspects of civil engineering, which can help guide them in their career, working towards their strengths and desired career path.

Continue reading “Civil engineering graduate success”
Standing beside electric vehicle by University of Brighton sign

Journey from foundation engineering student to Lead Electric Vehicle Engineer

My name is Emmanuel Sakyi, my journey at the University of Brighton started in 2016 on the Aeronautical Engineering (Foundation Year), now Aerospace Engineering with Integrated Foundation Year. I gained a place for a year in industry as Mechanical Engineering placement student with Network Rail after my second year of studies. After the completion of my project I switched from Aerospace to Mechanical Engineering MEng and carried on through till my final/ master’s year of study. I returned from my year out to most of my year group graduating and the migration of lectures from in-person to remote, due to the pandemic.

Continue reading “Journey from foundation engineering student to Lead Electric Vehicle Engineer”
Syeed standing in front of Johnson Matthey company sign

From degree to designing test equipment for ground-breaking research programmes

I’m Syeed Ansari, an Electrical Control Design Engineer. I studied MEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering and graduated in 2021. During my final year of university, I was highly involved in the STEP Lab (Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects) activities while undertaking Major Team Project and Independent Study modules. I also undertook a paid summer experience as a Lab Demonstrator.

Continue reading “From degree to designing test equipment for ground-breaking research programmes”
Matt Read graduate sitting a table smiling at the camera

Space to explore on our Architectural and Urban Design MA

Matt Reed graduated from our Architectural and Urban Design MA in 2023. He tells us about some of the his highlights at Brighton and how he is turning his major project into an exciting installation in 2024.

Why Architectural and Urban Design MA at Brighton?
I had been thinking about a career change for a while and Brighton had a course that really interested me which seemed like it could be an excellent extension to my previous studies – Fine Art intermediate at Kingston University (1993-96) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Glass & Architecture at Central St. Martins (2008-09) – and maybe offer up new work prospects.

I really enjoyed the course, and I highly recommend it, especially for someone looking to do something a bit more experimental within the field of architecture. At the time I started the course it was still during the pandemic, so a lot of the study was initially online. But things opened up gradually over time.

Support and space to explore
I actually took a year out in the middle of my studies. I did the part time route, which was two years, but I took a year out and ended up spreading it over three years. This worked well for me, as it allowed me to do paid work around the course. But, it also gave me thinking space and time to really absorb the material and to apply it to my own creative practice. The university staff were very flexible about this, which was great. The support provided was excellent and they were always happy to accommodate my needs.

Continue reading “Space to explore on our Architectural and Urban Design MA”
Alex Witty holding trainer in front of racing car

Brighton graduate launches sustainable footwear made from Formula 1 tyres

A Product Design BSc(Hons) graduate is tackling sustainability in both the motorsport and footwear industries with the launch of a new sneaker brand made from waste motorsport tyres.

Alex Witty, the 25-year-old founder of Compound Footwear, has designed a range of sneakers which use some of the 600,000 tyres motorsport tyres which reach the end of their use every season.

The range of sneakers combines tyre rubber with recycled natural rubber to create the soles. The uppers are made from waste leather and recycled polyester lining and laces. At the end of their natural life, Compound Footwear sneakers can be recycled into 100% reusable raw materials to make new shoes and products. The idea behind the project came to Alex while studying BSc(Hons) in Product Design at the University of Brighton.

Continue reading “Brighton graduate launches sustainable footwear made from Formula 1 tyres”

Graduates 2023: Hannah Puttick, Interior Architecture BA(Hons)

I feel I’ve had the opportunity to experiment more and make some really good friendships.

Throughout my work I have found I’m interested in both sustainability and film. Within most of my projects, I have looked into sustainable building materials, using this topic as a base for my dissertation, “The Future of Building Materials”. Film has been a more recent interest, which started at the beginning of this year with our AD699 cultures module, where we looked into where we might find ourselves in the future. However, it was solidified with my most recent project, which looked into the film Her, by Spike Jonze. This project allowed me to explore this avenue further, experimenting with creating a design to reflect the actions and emotions of a film.

Architect model of a building

Graduates 2023: Nasko Kondakov, Architecture BA(Hons)

In a world where sustainability and environmentalism are taking centre stage, Architecture at Brighton equipped me with the skills necessary to have a head start in the revamping industry.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

I was born in Burgas, Bulgaria, about a decade into the transitional democracy that followed the communist regime. I grew up surrounded by the remnants of the socialist days, but also engulfed by various architectural attempts at modernisation and Westernisation. It was fascinating to witness the world around me changing, and looking back at it now, it helps me identify the origin of the issues that followed. Fixing that had always been a driving force of my architectural pursuits.

Yet my early influences were not ones who had done so in their own countries or focus fields. I was looking at the glamour of starchitects like Zaha Hadid, Bjarke Ingels, Frank Gehry, enamoured by their mastery of the craft and the recognition their projects amassed. It was a reputation I not only sought for myself, but also for my country. Later I learned more about De Stijl, the Bauhaus movement, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, and so many others, who have helped guide me on my journey so far!

Final year work

Continue reading “Graduates 2023: Nasko Kondakov, Architecture BA(Hons)”
Set of four drawings of inside spaces

Graduates 2023: Khadiga El Shakhs, Interior Architecture BA(Hons)

I have been given the freedom to use my voice and create a healthy inclusive working environment for me and my peers, which has made my journey as an international student so much easier.

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

The main influences behind my work stem from my side passion for the field of fashion, textiles and styling. All of my projects attempt to merge influences from both fields of design. I started exploring different ways in which I can incorporate fashion into architecture through material experimentation specifically using textiles. For example, I started making models out of fabrics and learning how to sew in order to put stuff together. This allowed me to apply a technique that would usually be used in fashion, to architecture. A common area that I found between both practices was sustainability, hence through my projects I was able to learn about sustainable materials and precedent studies in fashion and in architecture. This led me to write my dissertation titled: “the interconnection between fashion and architecture”. 

Continue reading “Graduates 2023: Khadiga El Shakhs, Interior Architecture BA(Hons)”