Student Profiles
Kyriakos Sotiriou graduated BEng Civil Engineering with Sustainability in July 2010
At the end of my Greek military service, I wanted to spread my wings, see a new world and experience a different culture. I rejected the position offered to me in Ioannina, Greece as a physicist and applied for a Civil Engineering degree in the UK. Amongst five universities, I chose Brunel University, due to its reputation in Engineering. Another contributing factor, which led me in choosing Brunel, was the fact that it combined Civil Engineering with sustainability, a field currently lacking in the industry of Cyprus.
The three years I have spent at Brunel under the tutelage of experienced professors and other staff have helped me to evolve, mature and enrich my knowledge in civil engineering. Modules such as ‘Construction and Sustainability’, ‘Management and Sustainability’, ‘Civil Engineering Materials’, ‘Geotechnical Engineering’, ‘Structural Analysis’ and ‘Steel and Concrete’ have made me realise the importance of my field of study in the industry.
Innovation was a word that characterised me from a young age, so the choice of “joint and connections in composites and hybrid structures” for my final year project was not coincidental. This project was challenging, because of the different natures of construction materials in hybrid systems. My project aims were specifically to determine suitability of existing joints and connectors, to develop or modify connectors specific for composites and to design joints for composite to composite or composite to hybrid. The combination of different materials, the difference in materials’ performance under different environments (for example in an isotropic environment, concrete will move, but wood will move a little bit more), the inherent characteristics and the different stress modes, highlights the need for new joints and connectors for composites. My supervisor, Dr. Mizi Fan, and I are currently working on developing this project with a view to publishing our findings, a prospect I find particularly exciting.
Coming back for my graduation ceremony (July 2010) made me realise that my “journey” at Brunel University was not ready to come to an end. During my graduation and the prize giving ceremonies (in which I was the recipient of two prizes, the Thomas Gerald Gray prize awarded for the Greatest Academic Improvement in Civil Engineering with Sustainability, and the Graham Hawkes prize awarded for the best final year project in Civil Engineering with Sustainability), I realised that everything was worth it including the late nights studying and the hard work. I was holding my degree in my hands, I could not be more proud of myself.
Now, wanting to achieve even more, I have recently started my PhD at Brunel in Nano Enhanced Insulation Materials/Systems for Construction. I believe a PhD degree will be vital in enhancing my knowledge, moving more easily from theory to practise, and realising what is and what is not feasible in real life.
Finally, with no hesitation, I would recommend the Civil Engineering degree at Brunel, as it is very promising for a future career in the field and a very well structured degree, covering everything you should know about your subject. The lecturing staff of the Civil Engineering department work very hard, and are helpful and supportive. Also the laboratories have the latest Civil Engineering equipment to cover all the range of research. In addition to its excellence in the field of Civil Engineering, Brunel University is the only campus University in London and is15 minutes from London’s Heathrow Airport making it an ideal choice for international travel.
Bedir Bekar is currently on industrial placement in his third year of Civil Engineering with Sustainability
What drew me to the course was, first, the sandwich placement scheme it offered, and second, Brunel’s reputation for Engineering.
From the moment I attended the Engineering and Design open day, I have been witness to my lecturers’ passion for our subject. The Department is a wellspring of knowledge, constantly being filled by the renowned academic and practical work of the lecturers, who are all still strongly involved with the industrial world. I really enjoy knowing that I am learning from some of the best in the field, but this doesn’t mean that my lecturers have been unapproachable or unhelpful. Although the emphasis on independent learning is strong, I can always go and seek personal help from my lecturers. Although I have felt challenged at times, I have never felt lost.
My first year proved an enjoyable challenge. As different as the world of university is to college, from the beginning of the course there were plenty of opportunities to “get stuck in”. My favourite aspects of the first year was the high volume of practical work we took part in, particularly the 5 day field trip to Dorset to study coastal defences and geology and the mid-term multidisciplinary project collaborating with Design & Engineering students from all over the School to build and enter fully functioning robotic rover units in an inter-departmental competition. The emphasis on sound practical understanding to accompany the taught theory was heightened even more in second year, resulting in even more enjoyable practical laboratory sessions.
I am currently on my year 3 paid sandwich placement with the URS Corporation, one of the world’s largest multidisciplinary Engineering & Environmental Services companies. I work in the London Building Structures Team in the European head office, and have been working on everything from Structural Design, to Earthworks and even on the business side of the industry. I’m finding it thoroughly interesting and the placement is helping to paint a consolidated understanding of the engineering industry, that will help in my final year, and when I graduate. The placement is also enabling me to gather ideas for my dissertation, and gain valuable experience which will be of great use when I enter the industrial world. I am sure this industrial year will set me ahead of other graduates, and this is essential for fulfilling my goal of becoming a chartered engineer. I believe that the most important thing for a competent engineer is experience, and I have learnt just as much on my placement as I have in my first two years at University.
