Photo of Andrea Dhelpra, smiling standing by the river in London

Computing project exhibition 2023: Andrea Dhelpra, Computer Science BSc(Hons)

The highlight for me was the opportunity to apply everything I learned in my final project. This project was personally meaningful to me, and I enjoyed the process of putting my knowledge and skills into practice.

Tell us a bit about your project

I became interested in the blockchain field in 2020 during my second year of studies. I was getting really excited about the things that are possible thanks to this technology, so I started my side project with some friends and decided that it would be a great idea to commercialise a cryptocurrency trading bot. This suited very well with my final project, so I decided to use the support given from the university to start building a prototype.

My supervisor helped me understand how I could make the bot stand out from the competition and how it could be further improved. This was very helpful guidance from an experienced point of view. In addition to that, the research materials and resources available at the university, such as textbooks and access to online papers, helped me perform an extensive literature review that allowed me to become more informed about what I was building.

Continue reading “Computing project exhibition 2023: Andrea Dhelpra, Computer Science BSc(Hons)”
Log in screen for computer science project about blog chain

Computing project exhibition 2023: Constandinos Kotsis, Computer Science BSc(Hons)

In essence, the university holds your hand whilst you navigate your way and once you are ready, it lets you go to start your journey.

Tell us a bit about your project

The final year project thesis I have developed is centred around blockchain technology and providing a unique solution to online voting systems. It addresses the issues surrounding election fraud, voter anonymity and the miscount of votes and proposes a blockchain electronic voting decentralised application combining the different features of blockchain technology at its forefront. I was intrigued by the overall reputation that blockchain has in academia and society and wanted to explore the field further.

It certainly isn’t something I knew a lot about which can be a testament to how risky choosing a field with minimal experience can be for the final year project. But luckily it turned out very well. The University prepared me from the get-go; at the beginning of the year I had already chosen a supervisor for my project and had an initial idea for what I wanted to do.

It all went from there really, I continued having regular meetings with my supervisor talking about my project and also about my plans after university.

Continue reading “Computing project exhibition 2023: Constandinos Kotsis, Computer Science BSc(Hons)”
Internal walkway graphic

Finalist in Urban Design Group National Student Competition

Congratulations to Architectural and Urban Design MA student Rafa Grosso Macpherson, who is a finalist in the Urban Design Group’s national annual student competition.

Rafa’s concept design is based on the need to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies, starting by retaining existing structures and surfaces in an effort to reduce embodied energy from demolition and new building. But it is also an honest celebration of the industrial heritage of the 20th Century, many times forgotten and replaced with ‘anywhere developments’. One of the drivers for this concept design was to activate the derelict site with a network of destinations and hubs that will provide a function to residents, workers and visitors. Overall, the concept design tries to remain realistic but aspirational of a better future for people that feels connected to their place and the landscape.

Getting motivated through competition and seeing projects come to life

In the third and final blog in this series about the Engineering Practice module, Cristian, one of our Electrical Engineering students from Group 17, shares his thoughts on researching, workshops, cooperation, competition, and public speaking as part of this module.

Read about Theodore, Connor and Will’s experiences of the Engineering Practice module here

Read about Jake, Valentin, Edward, Connor and Isabel’s experience here

Engineering Without Borders

Since our objective was to help a region of the UK with relatively low life expectancy, we chose to go with a sustainable and overall cheaper way for the consumer to motivate them into exercising more frequently. Using our field in electrical engineering we opted to lower membership prices and have a reward system integrated by connecting electricity generating attachments to gym equipment. What made us the proudest was finishing a full-fledged project with complete research and being able to present in such a way that would be appealing to regional infrastructure developers and investors underlining the importance of physical exercise with some niche improvements on sustainability.

Continue reading “Getting motivated through competition and seeing projects come to life”
Three winning students standing in front of large sign

Talented entrepreneurs rewarded with prize money in University of Brighton Ideas Competition

On Wednesday evening 29 March, beepurple, the University’s startup support team, hosted the 2023 University of Brighton Ideas Competition.

The Ideas Competition Final, made possible with the support of Santander UK Universities , is one of the highlights of our beepurple calendar.

At the final last week, eight students pitched head-to-head to compete for cash prizes to help fund their startup ideas. The pitches were judged by our lineup of local founders:

Continue reading “Talented entrepreneurs rewarded with prize money in University of Brighton Ideas Competition”

Researcher to present healthcare carbon reduction plans to MPs and policymakers

University of Brighton researcher Julia Meister will showcase her ground-breaking work to MPs and Peers as a finalist in this year’s STEM For BRITAIN competition.

Julia is studying for a PhD in Computing in the University’s School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, and is among a group of rising young scientists, engineers and mathematicians chosen as finalists in this year’s STEM For BRITAIN competition, which will take place at Westminster on 6 March.

Continue reading Researcher to present healthcare carbon reduction plans to MPs and policymakers
Imani Qamar working in studio

Interior Architecture student Imani is designer for Channel 4’s Museum of Us

Imani Qamar from BA Interior Architecture has hit the big time as one of the design team in a new prime time Channel 4 programme “The Museum of Us’ that starts Monday 17th October.

The programme presented by Sir Tony Robinson is part detective story, part design challenge.  Each week local people from a single street are challenged to investigate and curate a pop up museum showing the history of their ‘ordinary’ residential road.

The Museum of Us brings communities together to celebrate their stories in new and immersive ways, bringing history right to their doorsteps with the help of a team of a historian, a designer and a curator. Imani of course is the fantastic designer helping with ideas and finding creative solutions to put on an exhibition – all within one week!

It was an absolute joy to be part of the Museum of Us team. I got to put some of the skills I’d been honing on my degree course to work, adapting to environment and narrative as we designed and built each pop up against the clock. It was great fun!

Imani Qamar

Piece by piece the team and the local residents uncover the story of their street, beginning with their own personal connections, then gathering evidence that tells the story of their street through time and learn how it fits into Britain’s national history.

Profile picture of Chris Willetts

Brighton student wins construction industry accolade

Congratulations to Chris Willetts, who’s studying Project Management for Construction BSc(Hons) who took the Outstanding Student Award at an annual construction industry event for London and the South East.

The Bright Futures Student Challenge – run by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) – brings together students studying construction-based courses at universities and colleges in London and the South East. This year it challenged students to showcase their skills and knowledge via a presentation to an expert panel, based on a site visit to the ongoing £29m Tribeca mixed-use new build development in London’s Kings Cross.

Chris is currently a second year student and his reward for winning the CIOB’s ‘Outstanding Student’ title for 2022 includes a week of work experience with VolkerFitzpatrick, the company behind the Tribeca development.

Continue reading “Brighton student wins construction industry accolade”

Photo of Damilola Ogunbiyi at a lecturn giving a speech

United Nations appoints Brighton graduate

A University of Brighton alumna has been appointed United Nations Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All.

Damilola Ogunbiyi, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency, has also been selected as Co-Chair of United Nations-Energy which promotes “coherence within the UN family of organisations in the energy field”.

The appointments were announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Sustainable Energy for All is an international organisation launched by the then Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, to “help mobilize achievement of universal energy access, improve energy efficiency, and increase the use of renewable energy”.

The University of Brighton awarded Ms Ogunbiyi a Project Management for Construction BSc(Hons) in 2001 and a Project Management for Construction MSc the following year.

Continue reading “United Nations appoints Brighton graduate”