Hinar arrived at Strathclyde to study an MSc in Mechatronics & Automation. Find out more about her thoughts on life at Strathclyde.
Why did you choose to study at the Department of Design, Manufacturing & Engineering Management?
After I decided on studying an MSc in Mechatronics & Automation, I started searching for different universities. One of the most reputable universities in Scotland is the University of Strathclyde, especially for engineering and its connections to industry.
As my Bachelor degree was in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Mechatronics and Design, with a minor in Business Administration, the only department that would target all of these aspects was the Department of Design, Manufacturing & Engineering Management which would help me to pursue all of my interests within the same department.
Why did you choose to study your course?
I fell in love with Mechatronics and Automation as a high school student when I went to a career event at my undergraduate university, the American University in Cairo (AUC). After studying the subject during my Bachelor degree, I decided that it is a very challenging field that needs to be further explored and studied.
What have been the highlights of your course to date?
I love the experience; the course doesn’t only focus on theoretical study, but also on the practical aspect where learning is not given in lecture form but it is more like learning by doing after the basics are explained.
The fact that I am able to work hands-on in the workshop is the best experience as it helps me to understand each and every detail from the manufacturing stage and on to managing the project.
The fact that the group graduation project is working on an existing product in the market with an industrial client is a great incentive because you can see your work put to an actual use.
What are your ambitions following the completion of your course?
I hope I will be able to secure a job in a multi-national company that manufactures and automates its products. I then dream that in five years I will have a managing position in that company where I will not only learn the technical aspects of the work being done, but also manage the work from a business point of view.
In the long term, I dream that I will open my own manufacturing business that focuses on innovative ways of solving existing and future problems via the innovation of new machines and/or devices to make our lives easier.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to study at the department of Design, Manufacturing & Engineering Management and the University of Strathclyde?
I would definitely advise that person to come here as it is not just about the lectures but rather about the whole experience: the trips, the entrepreneurship programmes that are open to all students, the project work, the workshops, in addition to the programme itself.
The department tackles more than one discipline at a time, which, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to be prepared for the actual work experience.