Prajwal Adhikari

After researching his university options, Prajwal Adhikari, from Nepal, discovered that the University of Auckland offers a unique one-year programme that was right for him, the 120-point Master of Engineering Studies in Civil Engineering. He saw that the programme structure provided an in-depth understanding of the civil engineering discipline to meet current industry demands and decided it would be the right choice for him.

Aside from University’s top 40 ranking in the subject of Civil and Structural Engineering, Prajwal says he was attracted to the state-of-the-art facilities, opportunities to collaborate with industry leaders and government bodies, integration of advanced technologies and methods in the courses and wide-ranging electives that the University offered.  

“After being offered a place in the Master of Engineering Studies, I was looking forward to pursuing my study. However, the global pandemic affected my financial situation. I had the desire and determination to achieve the best in the masters programme, but I needed to find a way to fund my education,” Prajwal recalls.

“I contacted Scholarship Office and they provided me with the crucial information on the opening date and the regulations of University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship and guided me with my application. The process was quite rigorous, but it was easy enough to follow through,” Prajwal explains.

Prajwal shared how delighted he was to be awarded the University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship for 2021. It was the support he needed to be able to study even during the pandemic period.

The Master of Engineering Studies in Civil Engineering enabled Prajwal to enhance his knowledge through specialised courses such as Project Management, Construction Management, Climate Adaptation Design, Design of Earthquake Resistant Foundations and Engineering Risk Management. Some courses also involved undertaking “real-world projects, which prepare students for the various roles within civil engineering projects”.

Prajwal adds, “The course instructors and the team were very resourceful. The multi-disciplinary approach through coursework, tutorials, workshop, readings were really helpful in understanding the subject matter. The group assignments helped me to understand the work culture and behaviour of people from across the globe overall, it helped to develop an understanding of teamwork.”

“I’d like to have an opportunity to work in New Zealand where I could gain advanced technical knowledge, deal with complex engineering problems and be exposed to international competence standards. I am hopeful that an advanced engineering qualification from the University of Auckland will provide me with a stepping stone towards my career in civil engineering.”