Experience of a lifetime

Somsubhro Chaudhuri recommends the University of Southampton, UK for any engineer who wants to have an all-round education and a great experience...

In a world where technical and technological innovation is constantly expanding, I have always been intrigued by the fascinating engines, machines, aeronautics, automobiles and electrical systems. With a passion to not compromise, it took all my mettle to take the difficult decision of fulfilling my childhood dream that I always carried with me.

After a diploma from Delhi Flying Club and an Engineering degree from The Aeronautical Society of India, it was time to cross the limits and reach the penultimate destination, University of Southampton. It was surely not the end as the eager beaver in me had further goals to meet.

Having enrolled in one year regular Masters of Science programme in Propulsion and Engine Systems Engineering (Advanced Mechanical Engineering Sciences) in 2014, I had anticipated beforehand a lot of theoretical engagement, as the variety of modules promised.  But what surprised me, was the extensive practical training that was offered by the faculty.

For all the engineering students looking for a first-rate education and training, I would strongly recommend University of Southampton. The Engineering faculty has excellent facilities and academics which make the experience very rich.

As any aspiring student, I was distressed too about admission to a foreign University. But above all, my preference was this particular course, which was being offered by very few universities and Southampton’s eminence of technical education brought me here.
Making new friends

Along with profound educational exposure, the University also offers varied extra-curricular opportunities which expose one to diverse experiences. For the time I could spare from my studies, I devoted some to the University’s Formula Student Team, and also played for the Medics Cricket Team.

Also, as the University has many students from around the globe. I found it captivating to engage and befriend people with varied cultures and languages. During the Masters, I used to stay in university accommodation and had a small group of friends from Jamaica, Indonesia, Germany, England, USA and Brazil.

At times, for leisure purposes, I would roam around with my friends or cook Indian delicacies for my friends at the University accommodation. Now that the course has ended, every one of my friends have gone back to their respective countries and I am going to miss them the most as none of them will be there during my PhD.

Towards a PhD

My most cherished memory lies in the way I received my applied PhD offer: I had asked my MSc dissertation supervisor for a recommendation letter. That’s when she asked me for my module scores so that she could add them to the recommendation letter. She made the applied PhD happen and arranged the funding for me subsequently based on my performance in examinations and dissertation.

This gave me the opportunity to specialise in my research project. My research revolves around the numerical analysis of steel weld fatigue. The aim of the project is to compare X-ray CT evaluations and serial sectioning approaches to determine weld toe geometry and the associated stress concentrations.

This will allow us to further understand the stress and strains fields around fillet welds produced by shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) in steel plate and how this affects crack initiation and growth under fatigue loading.

Ultimately, this experimentally derived data will underpin numerical modeling of the fatigue responses of the welded structures and eventually be linked to design rules for light-weighting of welded steel structures in a safe and efficient manner.

The extravagance of the whole project lies in the fact that this PhD project will be conducted at two sites, partly at the University of Southampton and partly at TWI (based up in Abingdon, Cambridge) within the National Structural Integrity Research Centre.

Above all the accomplishments, the masterstroke is that on the basis of my excelling performance with current average of 77.5 per cent (which is the top 5 per cent of the cohort in Faculty of Engineering and the Environment) and the interview with the Stakeholders at TWI, my PhD at the University is being fully funded with external support from The Welding Institute (TWI).

In the future

After the completion of my PhD, I would be hoping that the sponsoring company offers me a role in the company so that I can continue my work. Otherwise, I will apply for jobs in Germany, UK and India. Ultimately, by 2024, I want to return to India permanently and settle down.

As an overall reassessment, I would advice students to follow their dreams, even the most zealous ones, for there are the best of resources, trainers, faculty, and infrastructure available at a very easy access, given that you have a vivid vision.

With a combination of the best of mentors and an infrastructure with all possible amenities, the University of Southampton is the most gratifying place that academia can offer. Having been here once, you’ll experience education beyond your wildest dreams.