Site Visits and Field Trips – Environmental Consultancy MSc

Posted on 12 June, 2017 by nco36

Sophie Metcalf, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Environmental Consultancy, writes about her field trips and site visits involved in her course.

As part of the MSc programme here, students are required to undertake a personal research dissertation. Due to the nature of the subject, projects often includes site visits to the area of interest for observation and sampling. Recently I undertook my preliminary site visit as part of my research dissertation, which gave me the opportunity to get out of the city and into the beautiful countryside of North East England. The North Pennines are classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the mid-march sunshine most definitely brought out the best of this beautiful landscape!

The North Pennines

My project is focused on geochemical investigations of abandoned metal mine sites in the North Pennines, so my first field visit involved undertaking a reconnaissance of the sites I will be looking at. All the sites have heavy metal contamination from the historic land use as metal mines. The project is funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund and is part of the larger OREsome project being undertaken across the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is an amazing opportunity to work in such a beautiful area of the country and on some sites that have been un-researched and untouched until now. This project will build on work already undertaken by staff within the Geoscience department to quantify the metal contamination entering water courses in the North Pennines, which eventually reaches the River Tyne and Newcastle.

sophie-metcalf-march-blogs-research-field-visits-jpeg

Site investigation

Dr Neil Gray, Degree Programme Director of Geoscience Programmes

It is sometimes easy to forget that such a vibrant city such as Newcastle, is located to closely to some of the most stunning countryside in the country. I am greatly looking forward to undertaking more site visits to this beautiful part of the world, to undertake sample collection.

Why I chose Newcastle University

Posted on 12 June, 2017 by nco36

Mosopefoluwa Oikeh, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Environmental and Petroleum Geochemistry, writes about her decision to study at Newcastle University.

I believe that certain factors are worth considering before choosing a university or course of study. Excellent teaching and research standards, amazing student experience and career prospects are just a few determinants I examined while reviewing universities in the United Kingdom.

As an international student, I wanted the best student experience I could get. The thought of leaving home for a new environment and how easy it would be to acclimatise was daunting. However, I had friends in Newcastle University who shared their student experiences with me which helped calm my nerves. I found this to be true as you get to meet students from diverse cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, thereby creating opportunities to socialise and learn about other cultures. There are occasional side attractions and social activities organised by the student union and other registered societies which makes the experience exciting.

Talking about teaching and research standards, civil engineering as well as some other departments was rated world leading or internationally excellent. In addition, I desired to study a master’s degree taught course that will reflect petroleum geology and environmental science and I found a perfect course at Newcastle University. The university is ranked one of the best and one of the top 20 most targeted universities by UK’s leading employers; as such increasing career prospects.

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city with rich cultural heritage and a vibrant student city. The nearness of the university and accommodation to the city centre makes it accessible and exciting to dwell in. The people are warm and lovely. The city’s night view and monuments are nice for relaxation and reflection. When it is time to withdraw from the social attractions and concentrate on studies, the university campus is an excellent place. The libraries are strategically located around the campus and can be accessed anytime of the day, during school term. The city has a local airport which connects other cities within the UK and some countries. Living and studying in Newcastle is one choice I have never regretted.

Field visits

Posted on 12 June, 2017 by nco36

Li Yuan, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Structural Engineering, writes about some of the field trips she has been involved with so far.

During the second semester of my MSc in Structural Engineering, we have had several study field visits in the month of March. The first was the study tour to Durham city. The city is a very attractive tourist attraction in the North East, with the River Wear looping around the Romanesque Durham Cathedral and Norman Durham Castle. The aim of the trip was to inspect the bridges along the River Wear in the heart of the city.

The first bridge we visited was the Framwellgate Bridge. As the oldest bridge in the city, Framwellgate Bridge is over loomed by Durham Cathedral. The bridge was constructed in 1127 by Bishop Flambard as a well-protected entry point into the city. For centuries, the three-span stone arch bridge carries the traffic flow into the city, it was doubled in width in 1859. Thanks to the rocky foundations, the bridge arches are sound and stable and is still servicing to the traffic above it. The ancient construction may seem simple and not fancy as the model bridges, however, the stone arches are the most durable and long lasting bridge construction in comparison to the model bridge designs.

Our second study trip was to Edinburgh city. As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is a steeped in history, from its world famous clifftop castle to the Royal Mile, every brick in the city has its own story to tell. However, this trip we focused on the modern side of the city’s architecture. We visited the Dynamic Earth, located on the exact spot where James Hutton (the father of modern geology) lived and worked in the 18th century. The centre comprises of a fabric roof and its support structure that was constructed on the exhibition gallery under it. A hemispherical dome illustrated the membrane structure and its support structure working principle.

Why I chose MSc Structural Engineering at Newcastle University

Posted on 12 June, 2017 by nco36

Li Yuan, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Structural Engineering, writes about her passion for the subject and what she hopes to achieve after gaining her postgraduate degree.

My decision to join Newcastle University to study an MSc in Structural Engineering, was made after long consideration and evaluation.

There are a number of universities that offer a similar course, and so deciding which to apply for was tricky. As my family were settled in the North East, the universities that I considered in the first instance were the ones located close to home. Newcastle University was a top-ranking university with an outstanding reputation amongst the North East universities on my list. In particular, it is ranked 2nd in the UK for Civil Engineering research power, which fulfilled my requirement as someone interested in becoming a Structural Engineer PG student.

In comparison with competitors, the MSc Structural Engineering course at Newcastle is delivered with more attention to industrial practice. The modules are taught in blocks, which is a huge advantage to me as I don’t have to jump in and out from each module. The teachers and professors are from or work closely with the civil engineering industry, allowing my study to be industrially focused.

As an investment of my career development, an MSc in Structural Engineering at Newcastle University will provide me with a better platform to restart my career. With 86 percent of graduate students from this program being employed or in further study after 6 months. This is a very high ratio compared to other universities. Furthermore, this course is accredited by the ICE and IstructE. The acceptance by the leading industrial institutions will enhance my job hunting success after my graduation.

I am currently in the middle of my final semester. The experience of passed study has proven my decision to study an MSc in Structural Engineering at Newcastle University was definitely the right decision!

Societies at Newcastle University

Posted on 12 June, 2017 by Christina Ong

Valini Samaroo, an MSc Transport Planning and ITS student, writes about the societies she’s been involved in at Newcastle University and how societies can help when relocating to another country.

Making the decision to pack your things and move to a new country, by yourself, for a whole year, is a nerve-wracking experience. So many things go through your mind: Will I fit in? Will I enjoy it? How will I cope with the weather? Suppose I miss home too much? What will I eat?

Before I arrived in September, I decided to do some research into the societies at Newcastle University via the Newcastle University Students’ Union webpage. What better way to settle into a new place and make some friends than joining a group of like-minded people? To my amazement, the Students’ Union offered over 160 societies from which to choose! I decided to join the Dance and Civil Engineering Societies, as well as keep a keen eye on ‘Give it a Go’ which offers opportunities to participate in completely new things like paintball and ice skating at ridiculously low prices.

Being a part of these societies has helped me settle in immensely. I was even encouraged to join societies by my Personal Tutor within my degree programme! It has helped me appreciate Newcastle University even more, as emphasis is placed on both work and play, and one needs only to find a way!

I have always been passionate about dance and the dance society’s classes are my way of connecting with both myself and other dancers from all around the Uni. The classes, taught by other students, have offered me a sisterhood that I know I can escape to after eight plus hours of lectures, to simply relax and have fun.

I attended the Civil Engineering Society’s Christmas Ball, which gave me the opportunity to interact with my colleagues and classmates in an informal setting, where we could truly relax and have a fun night out. This event and others allowed us to connect beyond the classroom and develop a kinship that truly helps when home-sickness sets in. You always have a group of people that you can look forward to spending time with.

Joining a society offers you a home away from home, and I would recommend it for any student coming to Uni, international or not. You get a chance to connect with people through a medium that transcends language and cultural barriers. The best part: you get to have fun!

Surveying and Mapping Science at Newcastle – Stage 1 Field Course – Part 1 of 2

Posted on 8 June, 2017 by Laura

During the Easter holidays, the Stage 1 Surveying & Mapping Science and GIS students went on a field course to the Seathwaite Valley in the heart of the Lake District. It was a challenging and rewarding eight days that brought together all of the theory acquired in lectures and practicals and applied it in a real world setting. This series of blogs will share some of the highlights from the perspective of a surveying and mapping science student.

It’s the fourth day of the field course and it’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point! I’m writing this blog from the Glaramara House, our hotel which is serving as our base for the duration of the fieldcourse. We arrived at Glaramara on Thursday morning after a scenic two-and-a-half hour coach ride from Newcastle. The setting is stunning: a pastoral valley of green fields; dry stone walls and streams; surrounded by craggy fells; waterfalls and oak forests. Our mission for the field course is to create a detailed map of the valley, but first we need to lay the foundations by creating a control network.

Practising setting up targets in front of the Glaramara House, our base for the field course.

Shortly after arriving at Glaramara, we donned our high-vis and waterproofs to undertake our first task: brushing up on the surveying skills we’d be using over the next eight days. The valley is famous for being the wettest inhabited place in England, and it’s definitely living up to its reputation. After a soggy afternoon of measuring angles and levelling, we dried off and enjoyed what would be the first of many delicious dinners. A pint from the hotel’s bar was the perfect way to celebrate a successful first day.

A pint was much appreciated after a long day in the field.

The next morning, we enjoyed a full English breakfast before beginning our next task: establishing the primary control stations throughout the valley. We were divided into teams and taken by minibus to our assigned locations. Using total stations, we spent the day measuring the angles and distances between points. We would be using this data later to compute the coordinates of the stations. The blustery weather was a challenge, especially looking back to the relatively easy practical’s we did at Town Moor back in Newcastle, but we persevered.

Yesterday’s assignment was to determine the height of points around the valley using spirit levelling. Simple enough…or so we thought. My team quickly realized that those lovely green fields were essentially giant mud pits and the stone walls an endless maze to navigate through, but it was a great feeling when we arrived at our last benchmark. Another job finished and I’ve never been more grateful for a hot shower!

Today the GIS students have joined us and we’ll be going out in teams to create secondary control networks around the valley. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, better bring along the sun cream!

Earth Science at Newcastle – Stage 2 Field Trip

Posted on 25 May, 2017 by Laura

26^th March 2017 was when the stage 2 Earth Science students went to the Isle of Arran on a field mapping field trip. We set off early on the Saturday morning getting on the coach to the ferry across to Arran and the views were amazing (see photo 1).

1: Amazing views from the ferry.

We then had a short drive to the field centre which was in the north of the island (see photo 2).

2: Lovely views from the field centre.

After settling into our rooms and having a tour of the facilities, we went to Hutton’s Unconformity as this is a famous geological landmark of the place we were staying in.

3: Students having a closer look at Hutton’s Unconformity

The next day was where the lecturers took us to see all of the main types of rock that we would be seeing during the next week. This was useful as there is a big difference between looking at a hand sample in a lab to looking at an in situ outcrop. That evening we had a classroom session to go through our plans for the week and work out our strategy for creating the geological map. We were in groups of three and had a 5km² area of land to map.

The next morning we got dropped at the location that we had chosen, the weather was great, so we were in for a good day. My group decided to map the south of the area first and to complete our graphic log so that we didn’t have to worry about it later in the week. We started off on the beach to map the boundary between one formation and the volcanic formation which we had seen the previous day. The beach was a good idea to start with as the geology often outcrops in large areas on the beach. We found lots of what we thought might be crossbedding but we took photos to show our lecturer in the evening (see photo 4).

4: Crossbedding on South Corrie beach with pencil for scale.

The next day we chose to map the river in the north of the site because in a similar way to on the beach, there are many outcrops (see photo 5). We started at one end of the river and walked along it towards the coast noting when we saw a change in appearance of rock, and taking dip and strike measurements frequently as we went.

5: A small section of the North Sannox river.

In the evening we transferred all of our observations onto our maps and made plans for where we wanted to map the next day.

This field trip really helped us to put what we had learned in lectures into practice in terms of rock identification and making links between the geology and environment. It also gave us skills and ideas for our individual project in Stage 3.

Postgraduate student life at Newcastle University

Posted on 5 May, 2017 by nco36

Luilfy, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Structural Engineering, writes about the social aspects of student life at Newcastle University.

Postgraduate student life at Newcastle is one of the best student experiences in the UK, due to its variety of programs and activities that you can take part in during the year. There are a wide range of clubs and societies for everyone and these activities usually work alongside the academic timetable. Therefore it is quite easy to be part of a society without it interrupting your studies.

Every society has a wide range of activities that can help you not only to focus in classes but to get to know more people at the university. In my case I support the Catholic society and the Latin society. These societies help me in my personal and student journey, for example: the Catholic society helps me to be calm and keeps me align with my beliefs and on the other hand, the Latin society promotes a lot of Latin parties that are really fun.

The university offers spaces in campus for its students for recreation and to socialise. What amazed me most when I started at Newcastle University was that there is a bar inside the university. At the beginning it was hard to understand but now it is one of my favourite places where you can have a nice drink and talk. Another wonderful thing about the university is the Students’ Union (SU). The SU is an organisation that represents and helps students; it organises a lot of activities and does a lot of trips in and out of the UK at affordable prices. Thus, NUSU trips are always good to enjoy because they have the support of the university.

Moreover, Newcastle is a very compact and quite a modern city where you can find almost everything. Since, the city centre is small and close to the university, there is no need for a car or bus in order to get to know the city. Also, Newcastle has one of the best nightlife’s in the country. There are a lot of pubs, bars and discos where postgraduate students can take a break and release all their stress.

Another good feature of the city is that it has an airport and a train station, which means that you can easily visit other cities in the UK and Europe without spending too much. Furthermore, Newcastle also has a metro, which facilitates the urban transport for those days when you do not want to walk or want to take a trip to near towns or to the beach.

Read more about the social aspects of life at Newcastle University for Postgraduate Students.

My passion for Structural Engineering

Posted on 5 May, 2017 by nco36

Luilfy, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Structural Engineering, writes about his passion for the subject and what he hopes to achieve after gaining his postgraduate degree.

Construction is a very relevant indicator of progress in countries and the skyline of a city says how organised the urban planning of the area is. Structural engineering has been helping the society to develop solutions of housing, transport and giving security and confidence to people in their homes.

The functionality of how a skyscraper or bridge works is amazing to me, how all elements are combined to form a structure is wonderful. In class, I was astonished to learn about structural analysis and design because we see and use structures like buildings and bridges all the time. Furthermore, it is amazing to learn a science that has such an impact on society because every person using it.

In my country, the Dominican Republic, structural engineering has a lot of responsibility as the country is located within an earthquake zone. Therefore, engineers have a crucial obligation when it comes to design and construction of buildings as these processes can save lives in a seismic event. After witnessing the severe earthquake that hit our neighbouring country, Haiti in 2010, the focus on structural engineering in the Dominican Republic has become more important than ever!

Before I came to Newcastle University, I did an internship in the construction of schools for the Government. After doing this internship for several months, I was approached to join the Government Construction System, which allowed me to work on the construction of the headquarters of the European Union in the Dominican Republic. Although, my work experience is related to construction management, I have always been interested in structural engineering. Also, during my internship, I often worked with different seismic and structural engineers and their work motivated me to gain a deeper knowledge in structures.

Studying a Masters in Structural Engineering will help me pursue a career where I can be creative in problem solving, design functional structures and at the same time give comfort and confidence to people. When I finish my Masters at Newcastle University, I expect to gain enough knowledge and experience to work for a consultancy company that has significant and challenging projects. I hope to make a significant contribution to society.

Find out more about our Structural Engineering MSc.

Celebrating International Women’s Day – Women in Engineering

Posted on 7 March, 2017 by Christina Ong

Takudzwa Chipamaunga, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Environmental Engineering, writes about what its like being a woman in a male-dominated sector and how having a female mentor encouraged her to further her studies in the field.

After doing an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering, I wanted to choose a postgraduate course that directly specialised in matters that help to protect the environment. I want a career that would have a global impact on our future and the future of the planet by making it a mission to think and act through respecting and protecting the environment; for this reason, I thought environmental engineering would be the best route.

During my second year at my previous university, I did an internship with a Waste and Environmental Services consultancy firm in the UAE where the Technical Director of the organisation was a woman and had a similar background in academics as mine; she started off as a civil engineer, progressed into the Environmental and Sustainability field and worked her way to the top. During the internship, she gave me the opportunity to carry out my final year dissertation topic on a project the organisation was working on, where she became my mentor and supervisor. The project we tackled was implementation of healthcare waste management approach in the UK to the UAE. The team I was in was able to launch legislation and policies directed to waste management in three different emirates and we were able to drive down waste management problems.

What made it cool? A diverse pipeline of female talent via leadership teams and employees worked together to make a difference in the pursuit to achieve a safe and sustainable initiative. Working alongside the team and receiving guidance from the technical director further encouraged me to pursue a career in the field as I learnt a lot and had grown a greater interest in the subject along the way.

Today I enjoy seeing females choosing STEM-based programmes to pursue paths as engineers and consultants in various industries. I believed that this has really driven closure of the gender gap in many male-dominated sectors, and definitely helps in giving young girls hope for the future!

Volunteering with the Disaster Relief Building Project in Nepal

Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day 2017

Posted on 6 March, 2017 by Christina Ong

Tshepo Tshambane, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, writes about what its like being a female engineer in a male dominated field and gives advice to young women interested in pursuing a career in STEM.

I think as a female engineer in a male dominated field I have always felt or anticipated that I would feel intimidated at times but I have never let that stop me from studying/working in a field that I have grown to love. With women like Bridgette Radebe – the first black South African deep level, hard rock mining entrepreneur, Claire Carr and Kate Hall who are listed under ’35 under 35’ both from the civil engineering sector or Dervilla Mitchell who lead one of the largest construction projects in Europe once upon a time, Heathrow’s Terminal 5- women who are achieving what was once considered unimaginable there truly is never a shortage of female inspiration and definitely plenty of room for more in engineering and its related fields.

Having studied Mining Engineering at undergraduate level and now Geotechnical Engineering at Master’s level I can say that there has been a positive change to the ratio of female students to our male counterparts in the lecture room; 1 in 10 and 1 to 5 respectively-not by a skyrocketing change but a change nonetheless. A study in the US once indicated that there was approximately only 11% of women studying geotechnical engineering compared to 15-17% in structural engineering for example. I would like to say that I am not disheartened by these statistics, to me they say “Hey, at least WE ARE THERE!”. Of course more can be done to increase these figures, not only by us women but by men too! We can encourage young girls to think bigger and not be afraid of what they can accomplish, especially in areas that have never been touched by a female hand.

During my time I have come across numerous organisations that encourage women to be a part of the science and engineering world. Through Newcastle University I was able to become a member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). WISE does what is says on the tin; it is a “campaign that promotes women in science, technology and engineering” through the sharing of events, training courses and advertising of STEM roles … a true platform that boosts women interaction and inspiration in the world of engineering. Newcastle University has and continues to receive prestigious Athena SWAN awards. The University’s School of Civil Engineering (CEG) received a Bronze Award status for their efforts in creating one of the largest diverse academic units in the United Kingdom. Studying under such a dedicated body has inspired me to not be discouraged at being one of two or three female classmates but to fortify my own efforts to be successful and inspire others.

Global Engineering – Borneo reflections (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 23 May, 2016 by ntmb5

In the third and final part of her reflections on the Global Engineering expedition to Borneo, Amy Hogg (Stage 4 MEng Civil & Structural Engineering) gives advice to students who may participate in the expedition in future years.

The Global Engineering module was an amazing experience and I am so thankful that I was able to participate in a project that made a real difference. The expedition was a once in a lifetime experience, providing the opportunity to immerse in a completely different culture and live in the jungle without modern technology for 12 days. For those offered the opportunity to complete a project of this nature, I cannot recommend the experience enough and hope to provide advice of some aspects of the project.

Fundraising presented quite a challenge, particularly in the final year of my degree. I would strongly advise making an early start and the summer break to apply to trusts and foundations and plan fundraising activities. This, along well as my passion for the project, allowed me to exceed my fundraising target. I would also strongly recommend group activities as they provide a chance to bond with team members before undertaking the expedition, however this does require a lot of planning!

The expedition allows students to take ownership of the project from early design through to construction. I was quite surprised at how the Raleigh staff stepped back and let us take complete control of the project. As such, it is vital to use the design stage to develop a sound understanding of the challenges presented on-site and to comprehend the scale to works to be completed in such a short time frame. I would recommend clearly breaking down the tasks to be completed and learn how to solve construction problems before arriving on-site.

The experience has really opened my eyes to the engineering challenges in the developing world and the key role engineers must play. The module has allowed me to develop a wealth of engineering skills that will prove invaluable in my graduate career. The Borneo expedition was a truly life changing experience which has most definitely been the highlight of my university career. As such, I cannot recommend the module enough to all future students lucky enough to undertake the experience!

Life in the jungle – a truly life-changing experience!

Global Engineering – Borneo expedition reflections (Part 2 of 3)

Posted on 6 May, 2016 by ntmb5

In the second of her three posts reflecting on the recent civil engineering expedition to Borneo, Amy Hogg (Stage 4 MEng Civil & Structural Engineering) write about life with the remote village community her team were working with.

The Borneo expedition provided the unique opportunity to see first-hand the social side of engineering. Although the social aspect of sustainability has been addressed in a number of university modules, the expedition really opened my eyes to the difference that engineers can make in the developing world. The project involved the provision of appropriate infrastructure, however raising awareness of the importance of health and hygiene practices was important to maximise the impact of the new technologies provided. As such, community integration was vital to ensure project success.

Before the expedition, I was apprehensive of how the community would welcome us to the village, particularly as we were the first Western group in Bombong Empat. However, it was overwhelming how welcoming the community were, inviting us to the local church services, to play volleyball games each evening and allowing us to teach the children new games and dances – a great way to relax after a long day of work! We all formed a really strong bond with the community which heightened the importance of the task at hand, pushing us to work that little bit harder to ensure we could do as much for the community as possible in the short time we were on project.

The Newcastle University team and local community at the opening ceremony.

The highlight of my trip was the opening ceremony which was an opportunity to thank all those involved and to unveil the new system. It was really heart-warming to hear such kind words of appreciation from the community which truly highlighted the impact we had made, successfully supplying a reliable system that would ease pressures during the dry season. The community treated us to some amazing performances, playing gongs and teaching us traditional dances which was an amazing cultural exchange thoroughly enjoyed by all! The strong bond formed between the Newcastle team and Bombong Empat residents really enhanced our experience as it was so rewarding to participate in a project that made a lasting change for all members of the community.

Traditional dancing to the community played gongs at the opening ceremony.

Global Engineering – Borneo expedition reflections (Part 1 of 3)

Posted on 30 April, 2016 by ntmb5

In the first of three blog posts, fourth year MEng Civil & Structural Engineering student Amy reflects on her experience on the Global Engineering module that sees students complete a real life engineering project in a developing country.

The Global Engineering module provided the opportunity to tackle an international design and build challenge in rural Borneo, utilising the engineering skills and knowledge developed from university learning. Providing basic amenities such as access to water and sanitation facilities in the developing world is a vital challenge to be tackled by engineers, particularly in Sabah where 41% of the population lack access to safe drinking water supplies or sanitation services.

My team was placed in Bombong Empat, a remote community located in the jungle region of Northern Sabah. The project involved the construction of a toilet block and the installation of a new gravity-fed water system. An existing government installed system failed to adequately supply water to all of the community and was extremely unreliable in the dry season. This clearly highlighted the importance of the task at hand – to provide each home with a reliable water supply.

Life on expedition involved 12 hour working days with early 05:00am starts in a constant 32^oC heat. The project required copious amounts of manual labour including digging, transporting heavy materials and concreting. Works for the installation of the gravity-fed water system consisted of the construction of a new dam and header tank site, laying over 1.5 kilometres of the pipe network and the installation of 15 tap stands across the village. With only 11 days to complete all tasks, as well as a limited supply of materials, careful planning and close communication were vital for project success.

Laying and connecting the pipe network

On the ninth day of the project we released water down the pipe network and waited eagerly at the lowest tap. After 17 minutes of listening to lots of air gush through the system, we had water! It was an amazing feeling to see that all of our hard work had paid off and we were all extremely proud of our achievement. It was fantastic to see the difference between the fast flowing taps from the new system with that from the existing supply, clearly demonstrating the true difference we had made to the lives of the community.

Flowing water at the lowest home – success!

Useful links:

Engineers Without Borders

Link

Jonas Lejarre, a third year BEng Civil Engineering student, writes about EWB, Engineers Without Borders, a charity that focuses on international development.

“Engineers Without Borders UK inspires and supports people to respond to global challenges using science, technology and engineering”.

We are a student-led branch at Newcastle and are part of a wider national EWB-UK and international network that regroup thousands of members, students and professional alike.

What do we do in our branch at Newcastle University?

Activities are varied and you can always find yourselves interested in one of them. EWB-Newcastle host talks on sustainable cities as well as inviting local charities to tell us more about what they do. Local charities are a great chance for everyone to learn more about their work abroad but it also offers the chance to learn about exciting opportunities with them. If you like talks but also want your voice heard, as part of the global EWB network we go to other universities to participate in debate generally around international development or sustainability. You can also get involved with Outreach, a program aimed at promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to school children. EWB works with the STEM program and local schools by providing activities and small projects, such as building a small wind turbine to demonstrate our need for clean and sustainable source of energy.

Although, only started in the beginning of 2016 EWB-Newcastle is now paired with TONIBUNG, a non-governmental organisation in Malaysia through a Member Led Partnership. An MLP provides students the opportunity to take part in development projects, while working closely with organisations local to the people that are being helped. One project has involved a problem that we have been given to design and develop a piece of equipment that regulates the electrical power generated and delivered to remove communities. It needs to be reliable and yet simple enough so that it can be maintained by village technicians, as our role is to make sure those communities do not rely on us on for its maintenance. Once designed, the solutions will be implemented by some of our members over the summer holidays in Malaysia.

A development project through EWB-Newcastle.

Let’s not forget, this is a student society and as such we have plenty social activity. From going Ice skating, bowling or to just grab a bite at the comedy club. It is also a good chance to meet people outside your course but also for networking as we work with the local professional EWB network here in Newcastle.

BEng Civil Engineering at Newcastle University

Video about Civil Engineering at Newcastle University

EWB Newcastle University