Current Student Profiles
2011/12 Cohort
Georgekutty Jose, MSc Advanced Engineering Design
I am a graduate from the Cochin University of Science and Technology and after graduation I worked as a design and production engineer for three years. During this time I started feeling the need for further studies in Engineering particularly in the Design area. I enquired about courses which would help me pursue my dreams and amongst others I came across the MSc in Advanced Engineering Design offered by Brunel University. The modules offered in the course attracted me and I decided to join Brunel. This was my first experience as a foreign student but I can confidently say that my decision to choose Brunel was right. Culture shock was a major concern when I first came to the university but the Course Director and his colleagues were very helpful and supportive and made me feel at home. The lectures were quite proactive and lively. The faculty members were all approachable at all times and were very helpful in my assignments as well. The library is well equipped with books and can be accessed round the clock. The group assignments and individual tasks were demanding but great fun and I have been able to communicate with people from various backgrounds and cultures through this programme.
I have now completed the taught part of the course and the examinations. I have learnt to use CAD packages like CATIA and Pro/Engineer and FEA packages like ANSYS and ABAQUS. I was fortunate to be in a group which investigated the buckling behaviour of a telescopic cantilever using experimental methods and ABAQUS. This unique module, Design Experience, has given me a different way of thinking. I can now confidently apply the theory I have been taught and I can find the extra Knowledge in a systematic way by myself.
I am about to embark on my crucial dissertation carrying out a Modal Analysis on the bed of a Cylindrical Grinding Machine, Ultramat 1000, for the prestigious Jones & Shipman Grinding company Ltd, of Leicester. I have always wanted to be involved with an intense, industrial Finite Element Analysis project and this shall be a true test for my engineering skills and character. This industry based project is a unique feature of this course. I recommend this course to anyone with similar background as mine and I can assure you that the course will make you confident and employable.
I hope to do justice to the Advanced Engineering Design course and Dr. Sivaloganathan who entrusted me with this sensitive project, and also create a USP on my C.V. that will, after the successful completion of this project, stand me in good stead in the real world.
Kok Yihsien, MSc Advanced Engineering Design
After completing my undergraduate study at the TARC in Malaysia in May 2010 I joined Brunel University to follow the MSc in Advanced Engineering Design. Among all other engineering courses offered by Brunel, Advanced Engineering Design is the only course that caught my attention. The reason is because it provides a variety modules that I have studied before and I wanted to study them further. I felt that it would make me a confident and competent engineer. Studying in Brunel has given me a tremendous experience where I’ve met a lot of friends from all over the world understanding their different cultures and working patterns. We have 29 students from various parts of the world in the current class.
There is no doubt that Advanced Engineering Design is one of the busiest courses in Brunel, because of the number of assignments and the project work in the Design Experience module. But it has become one of the invaluables that I will treasure forever, because throughout the year, I’ve gained valuable knowledge and experience in this course. What made it so special among other engineering courses is that we have our own dedicated classroom, the Niftylift Design Studio. We are the only ones who can access it 24 hours. Our Course Director Dr Siva always says that you should witness a few sunrises and sunsets from Niftylift studio to become valuable and accomplished engineers.
I appreciate all the professors who taught me especially Dr. Siva. Most of the time, I have been motivated and influenced by him, because he was my project supervisor. In fact, he is a great man ! Given that my previous background was Mechatronics, I wanted to take this opportunity to master something in a different field. The project that I have done in the Design Experience module was about buckling analysis of telescopic cantilever beam. It’s an integration of static analysis using Abaqus software, experimental measurement with strain gauge and data logger. Fundamental knowledge and experience that I gained from this project and the initial training in ABAQUS has prepared me for my dissertation in which I will be carrying out a static analysis of an industrial product with a view of optimising the design aspects of the project. Last but not least, I would like to thanks all my course-mates. We supported each other during the difficult periods and had a great time together. This course is an excellent one for anyone who wants to enter into the Engineering Design field. It will make them invaluable to employers in this field.
Chanachai Vanaruji, MSc Advanced Engineering Design
My name is Chanachai Vanaruji. I graduated from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang with a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2005. After graduation I started working at Samsung Company in Thailand for two years. Soon I wanted go for higher studies and I came to study General English in England. After studying English for a year and half, I decided to expand my knowledge by studying for a Master Degree and further my career. I searched for a course with an appropriate module list that would increase my value in the employment market and I settled for Brunel University. At first, I wanted to study Advanced Mechanical Engineering due to my prior background, but decided to opt for the Advanced Engineering Design. The main reason that I chose Advanced Engineering Design was that it has, for me, very attractive modules. The course combines many fields such as Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Controls, Manufacturing and Human Factors. These modules have a wide variety of applications in the real world. Moreover, there are six CAE software packages which are very useful for the engineer who can use them to solve the engineering problems. However, the theory is more important than using the programmes, because the theory remains the same but the tools always change. This specialist knowledge is provided by the professors. When I started this course, I found it very difficult because of the Technical English required in combination with many subjects. However, with the help of my friends and Professors, I have been able to succeed. The module leaders and Course Director, Dr Siva Sivaloganathan, have always been approachable. They have been ready to talk no matter what my challenges and problems were. They can give very valuable advice on most challenges.
There are very good facilities at Brunel university. i.e. a sports club that you can join. Our classmates always play football every week and that made us form strong relationships. Also, there are resources that you can use to learn new things or to ask questions when you have some doubts such as ASK section, one to one tutor on-line. Both these are free.
I strongly recommend this course to any aspiring mechanical engineering graduates, especially to Thai students, who would like to gain the knowledge that can apply to the real word. This course is very suitable for those who would like to design the product or the machine, because you can learn the theory and the approach of design from this course, which is the core of Engineering Design.
