International Buddies

A little bit about me

I am currently teaching in the optometry program to third years (contact lenses), and practical skills. I enjoy being a tourist in my new country, taking photos and watching series. I have two small kids who keep me busy! My family moved in November 2020 to the UK on a skilled work visa. I worked in Higher Education at a different university in South Africa before moving here.

My home country:

South Africa

Where I relocated from: 

South Africa

Other countries I have lived in:   

Trinidad and Tobagao

My contact details:   

Email me at l.s.coetzee@hud.ac.uk 

A little bit about me

For the most part, I’ve enjoyed moving to the UK. The cultural differences are fun to experience. I’ve found much of the bureaucracy to be frustrating for example opening a bank account and securing lodging was stressful. I can provide recommendations for what finally worked for me regarding a mobile phone plan and bank account, and I can also recommend some private landlords who helped me secure lodging.

My home country:

Canada

Where I relocated from: 

Montreal, QC

Other countries I have lived in:   

I have only lived in Canada, although I moved from an English to a French speaking province.

My contact details:   

Email me at E.Smialek@hud.ac.uk 

A little bit about me

I am involved with mostly research work at the university. I’ve moved in September 2021 to the UK on a skilled work visa. I enjoy hiking and running.

My home country:

India

Where I relocated from: 

Jerusalem, Israel

Other countries I have lived in:   

Denmark, Austria, Singapore

My contact details:   

Email me at n.sharma@hud.ac.uk 

A little bit about me

Hello, I am Ruwaid and I am currently working as a Research Fellow at the MIAMI (Materials for Ion Accelerators and Materials Investigation) Facility in University of Huddersfield since 2020. Here at MIAMI, I am currently working on developing new materials for nuclear waste immobilization applications. 

I grew up in Chennai, India and did my B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from Loyola College, Chennai followed by M.Sc. Degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT).  I moved to Canada for doctoral program and obtained my Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan.  Following Ph.D., I moved to the south of France and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the CEA Marcoule. 

My home country:

India

Where I relocated from: 

France

Other countries I have lived in:   

Canada, France

My contact details:   

Email me at M.Rafiuddin@hud.ac.uk 

A little bit about me

My name is Reza Moghdani, and I am a lecturer in logistics and supply chain management from Iran. I am passionate about my role as a scientist and contributing to international communities through my research. Currently, I am actively engaged in research and have established numerous international collaborations. In addition to my academic pursuits, I am a proud parent to a six-year-old son and strive to balance my responsibilities to my family with my contributions to the global community.

My home country:

Iran

Where I relocated from: 

Iran

My contact details:   

Email me at r.moghdani@hud.ac.uk

A little bit about me

Hello, I am Ajay. I am currently working as Precision Manufacturing Technician at the University's Ultra Precision Lab, based in Daresbury, Warrington.  I do various research and processes related to precision manufacturing.

I grew up in small town in India (Kanpur Dehat) comes under Uttar Pradesh State of India. I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Huddersfield.

My first visit to the UK was as a student in 2017 when I came to continue my ongoing Bachelor’s from India. I completed my degree in 2020 and returned to India due to the Covid pandemic in 2020.

I was also appointed as Student Ambassador for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Huddersfield for 2019-20.  Later, at the start of 2022, I joined the University of Huddersfield India office (International Office) as a Regional Officer for a year.  In late December 2022, the School of Computing & Engineering offered me a job and I once again moved to the UK under a Skilled Work Visa in 2023.

I enjoy cooking (especially Indian Food), listening to music, playing cricket and volleyball. If you are moving to the UK and looking for any assistance, feel free to contact me.

My home country:

India

Where I relocated from: 

India

My contact details:   

Email me at a.p.singh@hud.ac.uk

A little bit about me

Greetings! My name is Venkat, and I have been working as an Early-Stage Researcher for the European Project, Horizon 2020, at the University of Huddersfield since 2022. Our team's focus under this project is the development of antennas for beyond 5G applications.

I was raised in Visakhapatnam, India and obtained my B. Tech. in Telecommunications from Vishnu Institute of Technology, India. Later, I pursued my M. Tech. in Microwave Engineering from Andhra University, India. After completing my studies, I moved to Hyderabad for a Research Fellow position at DRDO, India. I relocated to Goa and served as a Senior RF Engineer at CommScope, India.

I love spending time with my loved ones. If you are planning to move to the UK for work or studies, please do not hesitate to contact me for any relocation assistance. I am fluent in English, Hindi, and Telugu.

My home country:

India

Where I relocated from: 

Visakhapatnam, India

Other countries I have lived in:   

Denmark

My contact details:   

Email me at v.r.kandregula@hud.ac.uk 

 

A little bit about me

I am a Senior Lecturer focused on the field of strategic communication/public relations. I moved to the UK a couple of months before the Covid pandemic, so my adaptation process was understandably difficult. All my education, including my PhD, was in Argentina, so I can give advice on my experience working in a new and very different higher education system (and country as well), from a Latin American perspective!

My home country:

Argentina

Where I relocated from: 

Argentina

Other countries I have lived in:   

Uruguay

My contact details:   

Email me at g.sadi@hud.ac.uk

 

A little bit about me

I am a professor at the Law School teaching children’s rights and human rights. I have travelled extensively in Africa undertaking assignments relating to children’s rights. I came to the UK in September 2021. I have three adult children in the UK, although they live elsewhere in the country.

My home country:

South Africa

Where I relocated from: 

South Africa

My contact details:   

Email me at J.J.Sloth-Nielsen@hud.ac.uk 

A little bit about me

I am working as a Rail Freight Engineer at the Institute of Railway Research. My field of work constitutes with understanding the underlying principles of identifying parameters affecting the performances of freight trains on the UK network.

I enjoy travelling and walking and occasionally cooking Asian food.

I was working in railways back in Finland. I found an opportunity with similar interests in the field that I am passionate about. Thanks to my supervisors and continuous support from the HR team, the transition from Finland to the UK has been very smooth.

My home country:

India

Where I relocated from: 

Finland

Other countries I have lived in:   

Italy

My contact details:   

Email me at m.r.shaik@hud.ac.uk 

 

A little bit about me

Hi everyone, I'm Suraj Nair and I work as the User Experience Officer here at the University. 

Beyond work, I enjoy traveling to new places and exploring different cuisines. Personally, relocating to the UK has been an exciting new experience for me. I love the picturesque historic buildings and weather here. It's been great getting to know the country so far, and I look forward to continuing to explore more of the UK.

My home country:

India

Where I relocated from: 

Bengaluru

My contact details:   

Email me at s.s.nair@hud.ac.uk 

 

A little bit about me

My intention was to make music my career, and I set about this goal in earnest over a period of almost twenty years. I put together bands, composed and produced several albums and videos, toured, and pursued various means of promotion. My music garnered copious international press praise, including a feature in the UK's Classic Rock magazine. My songs have been used on popular TV shows including Friday Night Lights, Queer Eye, and One Life to Live. I've also done a bit of film scoring.

Nevertheless, all these efforts didn't add up to a lucrative or sustainable career track for me, so I pursued my "plan B" as a film and media studies professor/scholar instead. I've published two books so far, one on landscape in cinema and the other on the seminal American TV show The Twilight Zone. I've taught in universities and classrooms around the globe, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the USA. I'm at Huddersfield now on a Marie Curie fellowship to work on my third book "Crime-Jazz Diasporas: African American Music in Overseas Cinema."

The process of obtaining a Global Talent visa for myself and my family proved extremely challenging, and we ran into a steady stream of subsequent difficulties as soon as we landed in the summer of 2023. I am happy to share the wisdom accrued from ‘learning lessons the hard way’ as has been mostly my experience so far. Please feel free to get in touch!

My home country:

USA

Where I relocated from: 

Arizona, USA

Other countries I have lived in: 

Jordan, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia

My contact details:   

Email me at D.Melbye@hud.ac.uk  

 

A little bit about me

Hello! My name is Bingyan Chen, from China. I am currently a Research Fellow at the Centre for Efficiency and Performance Engineering in the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddersfield. My research interests include dynamics modelling, non-stationary signal processing, machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis techniques.

From September 2019 to September 2023, I pursued my PhD degree at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China. From November 2021 to November 2022, funded by the China Scholarship Council, I conducted research as a visiting researcher at the Centre for Efficiency and Performance Engineering in the School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield. In November 2023 I was offered a Research Fellow position at the University of Huddersfield and came to the UK again.

I would be willing to share some of my above experiences if needed. Please feel free to contact me.

My home country:

China

Where I relocated from: 

Chengdu, China

My contact details:   

Email me at b.chen@hud.ac.uk 

A little bit about me

I am a Lecturer in the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddersfield.  My personal interests are watching movies and playing Tennis.

Before coming to the UK, I worked as a Senior Lecturer for 9 years at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), which is located in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. 

My home country:

Iran

Where I relocated from: 

Malaysia

My contact details:   

Email me at a.farzamnia@hud.ac.uk