Brunel University
Case study 1 - Linlin Hu

Linlin Hu (China) - 2006/2007
(MA) Design and Branding Strategy

My name is Linlin Hu and I'm from China. I came to Brunel as a postgraduate visitor and liked it so much I stayed. There were several factors behind my choice, for a start, it was one of the few universities that offered a course that interested me as well as the student life here is very much what you want it to be and what you want to make of it. The entire atmosphere was also very friendly and this meant that I would not spend the next year of my student life utterly lost!

Having completed my BA degree in marketing, my aim was to deepen my studies in the field of business design with an MA, and Brunel was strongly recommended to me as an excellent University. It has a renowned national and international reputation. It was a good choice for many reasons : I have the freedom to decide the scope of my research; the Design and Engineering Department has a high research rating in UK; the academic input and recommendations from staff were absolutely right - I found Brunel offered an excellent academic community with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and many people who provided a lot of encouragement and help, both academically as well as personally. There were small groups in the seminars and lectures, additional postgraduate seminars and preparatory courses about research methods and IT skills, all providing a good basis for studying my course. As a postgraduate, I very much felt like being treated as part of a wider academic world, especially from the support I received from my supervisor as well as from other members of the Department.

The University campus of Brunel is integrated, simple, but well-organised with all amenities, accommodation and lecture theatres close to one another. It has two campus stores where you can find Tofu or even LaoGanMa chili sauce here if you are from Asia! The University's newly decorated dining-room offers all kinds of food, from Pizza to burger, salad to bread and even Chinese stir fried noodle to suit students worldwide. Most conveniently a HSBC branch is located just opposite to the library, you could just pop into there and deal with all your relevant bank enquiries. The campus has some excellent sporting facilities: a gymnasium, fitness centres and running tracks.

There is no doubt about it, Uxbridge (the nearest town to Brunel, just 10 minutes bus ride) is a charming little place. It doesn't have major stores and most newcomers stand in the market square and wonder where the rest of the town is, but it has everything you need. The fact that you can get around Uxbridge on foot is very useful and, perhaps even more important for a student from the city, if you do want somewhere a little larger for the day then Central London is just forty minutes tube journey away.

Student life in Brunel also takes about as many forms as there are students in the University. Brunel recruits international students from over 115 countries. Whatever you are interested in there is almost certain to be a society that does it and if not it really is easy to set up your own. The great range of students at Uxbridge means you will definitely find people like you and it is easy to make friends.

If you are thinking of studying at Brunel just come, look around and ask questions during the Open Day of the Department you are interested in; this is the best way to experience the wide range of topics and courses taught at this University and I'm sure you will then decide to be here to spend your time in further study. Every student finds his or her flavor at Brunel University. You just have to sample it to find yours. And I highly recommend that you do!

Case study 2 - Babatunde Oyediran

Babatunde Oyediran graduated MSc Data Communications Systems in July 2006.

I initially chose Brunel owing to its reputation as a research institution and its very strong links to industry. I was attracted to the course because I wanted to move into Telecommunications and because I had an IT background with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, I needed a course that would act as a bridge between the two. This course was perfect.

The course covered more than I expected. The curriculum reflected the current needs in industry and all the modules were relevant with up-to-date case studies. Lectures, laboratories and library facilities were all very adequate especially because a lecture room was reserved for postgraduate courses. The introduction of a PG study area in the new Bannermann Centre and the 24/7 Graduate School with computing, printing and leisure facilities made the experience most enjoyable. Having a personal tutor as a mentor throughout the programme really helped with coping with the rigours of academic study. My worst fears were with the electronics content, but these were allayed with the provision of tutorial materials which helped even the most naïve person. I was most impressed by the calibre of the Faculty especially with guest lecturers from industrial research laboratories. Having a renowned professor of Project Management who gave hands-on exercises in Project Management has made it easier for me to settle into my new work role.

The University's location was also a huge determinant in my choice. Being very close to Heathrow airport, travelling is just a short bus ride away and its proximity to Central London offers easy access to the city's many attractions. I felt at home because of the great mix of nationalities. Every ethnicity was fully represented in the Brunel community and friendly and helpful staff made settling in very easy. An on-campus nightclub, cool bars, a vibrant International Student Society, state-of-the-art sports facilities, en-suite accommodation, amazing course mates and flatmates, the peace and quiet of a serene location when you want it, transport links to the city, etc. I even got a part-time job with the IT Support Team of the Computer Centre, assisting students and staff with access to the Brunel Network. The list is endless. I'm really proud to have been a part of it all.

My dissertation was titled 'WLAN-Fibre Optic Convergence for Wireless Broadband Communication Systems'. The convergence between Information and Communications Technologies was my main reason for choosing this topic. I was attached to the Wireless Networks and Communication Research Group of the Department which also exposed me to research methodologies. This involved the use of Discrete Event Simulation techniques to model and analyse the integration of wired optical fibre communications with IEEE 802.11 wireless technologies to achieve higher data rates. The work carried out in the project included network modelling, simulation of varying scenarios, tests for robustness and applicability, analysis of results obtained and specific antennae modelling using OPNET network tools leading to the postulation of stochastic models.

My MSc degree gave the necessary edge in a highly competitive industry. The evolution and success of VoIP telephony has opened a lot of business opportunities for Telecoms companies and there is a huge demand for the skill set to deploy new VoIP networks. The job I landed on graduation was Project Co-Coordinator for Easynet Limited, a BSkyB Company. The skills I acquired through Brunel encouraged the company to promote me to Project Manager within 8 months, which was fantastic ! My day to day role involves the effective project management of activities common to all Unified Communications voice and video projects ensuring that these are managed smoothly and efficiently facilitating the availability of all relevant information and timely end-to-end scheduling i.e. project/programme planning, requirements definition, scope definition and validation, project delivery, risk management, and quality control. Working with the Unified Communications Product Development team I provide Project Management expertise for the development and implementation of end-to-end order-to-delivery processes and pilot deployments for new products.

Brunel offered me a great opportunity to study a course that has an industry-friendly curriculum, high calibre Faculty, balanced study experience and led to excellent career opportunities after graduation.

Case study 3 - Yash Pathare

Yash Pathare, current MSc student in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering

Since childhood, I was interested in the field of Motorsports. I was always fascinated by the engineering involved in making fast cars. This is why I opted to study Mechanical Engineering after finishing high school. My undergraduate degree was in Mechanical Engineering. I completed it at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology (affiliated to the University of Mumbai, India). I passed with distinction in June 2006. Mechanical Engineering made me realise how much detailed thinking is involved in designing and manufacturing every single component that fits in a modern automobile. The obvious choice for me then was to take up a postgraduate course in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering, to learn more about the science of making cars.

I enrolled on the MSc in Automotive and Motorsport Engineering course at Brunel in September 2007. Presently, I have an extension to continue the write-up for my thesis. A little internet research brought the name of Brunel University to the fore as an ideal University to undertake a course in Engineering. My criteria for choosing a University were pretty straightforward - a course content that would give me the chance to learn as many new things as possible, a University that holds a good reputation for Engineering, and a place where I will have all the necessary facilities to progress. Since Brunel University satisfied all these criteria, I chose Brunel.

I believe one of the most important things that the course has taught me, is to be responsible, and learn to take decisions quickly and efficiently. Being involved in the Formula Student project, I also learnt how much detailed thinking goes into the designing of each component and thereafter, the feasibility of manufacturing the design. For me, the most important aspect of the course was the opportunity to gain practical knowledge by building a race car through the University's involvement in Formula Student. Also, it has emphasised the benefits of having a brilliant team of individuals, rather than having a team of brilliant individuals. This course has highlighted the importance of people skills, since I had the opportunity to work with students from different cultural and educational backgrounds. And I am sure this experience will be helpful to me in the future. Finally, interacting with suppliers on a daily basis has given me an insight into the Motorsport Industry. Indeed, this course has given me much more than textbook knowledge.

Brunel University provides an ideal atmosphere for learning. The location of the University is such that one can concentrate on studies throughout the week and then enjoy the weekend in Central London which is easily accessible from the University. The campus itself is a fantastic place to be, with a Café, Bar and Nightclub located at the centre of the campus. Some of the facilities on campus are extraordinary, like the massive Sports Arena and the numerous halls of residences, which provide excellent housing facilities.

Although the popularity of Motorsports is rising in India, it is not yet fully developed to the extent of providing education in the field of Motorsport Engineering. This meant I had to look at studying abroad as a possible option. A little internet research quickly confirmed to me that UK was the best place to do a postgraduate course in Motorsport Engineering, because of the facilities available for international students. The fact that almost 8 out of 10 Formula One teams are based in the UK establishes that the UK is indeed the hub for Motorsports. So far, it has been only about a year that I have been in this country, but I have learnt so much already about the Motorsport industry here. I have been to track days with friends, been to a couple of races on famous circuits like Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

One of the most difficult things for an international student is to settle down into a rhythm to focus on studies. At Brunel, everything was made to seem easy right from the very beginning. The arrival packs from the International Centre provided useful guidance about the neighbourhood and things like shopping, eating and travelling and the staff in Brunel are always willing to help. It really amazed me that they had thought of almost every aspect relating to the needs of an international student, trying their best to make students like me feel completely at home. Indeed, the long experience of dealing with students shows. I am glad that I chose to continue my higher education at Brunel University, because in addition to being one of the top ranked Universities in the country, it is also one of the friendliest!

Brunel Masters Motorsports is the Formula Student team of Brunel University. Being in its third year, the team is comprised of 21 students from different countries all over the world, who work in unison to achieve the ultimate objective of building a Formula Student race car. Being Team Principal of the BMM team, it is my responsibility to motivate and guide the team to achieve its objective of successfully building a race car in the given time. Given that the team is formed in October every year, it is a remarkable feat that the entire car is designed and built in eight short months. My duties include the co-ordination of different groups within the team (such as the Powertrain, Chassis, Driver Controls, and Suspension groups) to ensure effective communication during designing and manufacturing. Apart from this, I have also designed the entire intake and exhaust systems on the car to optimise performance from the engine. In addition, I have to liaise with suppliers to ensure that the manufacturing gets completed in time with minimum possible delays.

My final project, as part of the course, will be carried out at Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Germany over a period of nine months. The project will be dealing with developing and testing race strategies for the Panasonic-Toyota Formula 1 team.

After completing the course, I plan to find a job in a Motorsport team, and to work as a Race Engineer professionally. This course has helped me live a part of my dream, and the time has come now to translate this dream into a reality. I believe I possess the right attitude and the right combination of reality and optimism to work in an environment where the focus is not just on meeting deadlines, but beating them.

To summarise, I would encourage aspiring Automotive/Motorsport Engineers to study at Brunel because the course teaches you to be independent and responsible. It teaches you the practicalities of building a race car through the Formula Student competition, which in my view is much more important than textbook knowledge. All in all, I think studying at Brunel was a fantastic experience for me, and has prepared me to face the challenges of pursuing a career in the Motorsport Industry.