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International engineers on road to success after achieving UEL doctorate dream

Friday 2 March 2007

Two international Civil Engineering students are celebrating after successfully completing their PhDs at the University of East London (UEL) - fourteen years after having first met at the university!

Supry Ladi, of Brunei, and Idrus Masirin, of Malaysia, became friends when they both studied for an MSc in Civil Engineering at UEL in 1993. Under the supervision of Professor DC Wijeyesekera, a leading expert in the field of pipeline technology, they returned to UEL to begin PhD projects in 2001.

Supry, whose project examined the causes of road accidents in Brunei and possible ways to increase safety, is now setting up a Road Traffic Accident Research Centre in collaboration with the Brunei police and land survey department. In 2004, he almost quit the PhD after his young son was badly injured in a car crash.

Supry said: “I was distressed and seriously thought about giving up, but DC convinced me to keep going. I’m so glad to think that I can now go on to help ensure that less road accidents happen in the future.

“I actually did my degree in Civil Engineering at the North East London Polytechnic in 1986-89, so I’ve been studying at UEL since even before it became a university. That loyalty’s been paid back greatly with success in my career, and, considering I also met my wife here, I’ve definitely got a lot to thank UEL for.”

Idrus, a lecturer at the University of Tun Hussein Onn in Malaysia, moved with his family to Manor Park while conducting research into the possibility of improving the lifespan and safety of pavements on rural roads.

Idrus said: “Being awarded our PhDs means so much to Supry and I. We’ve been through a lot together and, thanks to the support of UEL, and DC in particular, we can now look forward to disseminating our knowledge, experience and expertise as academics.

“East London is a very vibrant place and a lot of good things happened to my family while we were here. My children learnt English, made good friends and, to be honest, they weren’t very happy to leave.”

Professor DC Wijeyesekera, who has lectured and researched at UEL’s School of Computing and Technology for over twenty years, said: “Idrus and Supry have been excellent students and shown a great deal of commitment. What’s particularly rewarding is that their projects were very country-specific, which means they can now go on to make a real difference back home.”

UEL is rated among the top twenty universities in the UK for Civil Engineering. The School of Computing and Technology is based at UEL’s Docklands Campus, with dedicated laboratory facilities in the new Knowledge Dock Centre. The School is internationally renowned for its innovative research and industrial collaborations.

To find out more, visit www.uel.ac.uk.

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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