Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment research student profiles

Portsmouth, UK

I was attracted to Oxford Brookes University by the quality of staff, specifically Dr Pete Turner, who was such an inspiration to me during my Masters degree that I desired to study under him further into a PhD. I continue to be extremely thankful to him and am thoroughly enjoying working with the Digital Media Production and Film Studies teams at Oxford Brookes.

I work in industry and was doing a part-time MSc in Film and Television. I enjoyed my time on my MSc so much so that I decided to carry on with my research and expand on it further.

It was very easy to settle in to researching at Oxford Brookes. The facilities are fantastic, the staff support is unparalleled and the opportunities abundant. The networks are plentiful and the Creative Industries Festival is a highlight of the year. The desire by the department to upskill PhD researchers with interpersonal and professional skills are obvious and easy to capitalise on.

My research focuses on the development of a new format tool in the Participatory documentary mode. Typically, participatory documentary filmmakers such as Marc Issacs (Lift) or Molly Dineen (Geri) use the standardised format of holding the camera and asking questions from behind the lens; they are only heard, and never seen. This has been a regular cinematographic style of Participatory documentary for decades, but what if this same style could also feature the self-shooting documentarian on camera? And what would the implications be? This work, for the first time, explores the practical cinematographic tools that can put the documentarian on camera in a television format. Concentrating on one style in particular, the ‘two camera SMARTI format tool’, this research is creating a series of contrasting documentaries to contribute towards an answer to a number of questions: viability of this cinematographic technique in television production, acceptance of the format to a commissioner and spectator, and commercial viability.

Television programmes over the last 25 years have gradually utilised miniaturised cameras in creative and inventive ways as a format tool; a format tool being what makes the programme unique - Big Brother’s format tool is putting contestants into a house together and filming their behaviour for example. Reality television programmes such as MTV’s Fear (2001) and Josh Gates’ Destination Truth (2007) have both utilised the format tool of equipping contributors with both a handheld camera showing their first-person perspective and a separate body camera that points back at the wearer, showing the viewer who is filming behind the camera. With both the contributor’s first-person perspective and reverse shot filmed simultaneously, this format tool has never transitioned to Participatory documentary until now.

With the documentarian now on camera for the first time, it has created what the research calls as the ‘relationship triangle’. Traditional Participatory documentaries show the interpersonal relationship between documentarian and contributor as the main focus of address – Marc Issacs talks to members of the public in a lift throughout his famous documentary Lift (2001) - with the very occasional breaking of the fourth wall by the contributor communicating with the audience down the camera. But with two cameras individually filming both the contributor and the documentarian simultaneously, it creates a new side of the relationship triangle; the documentarian can now also address the audience by looking down the lens of the camera that is looking back at them, breaking the fourth wall themselves. This is a dynamic that the traditional cinematographic style has never been able to achieve and puts the audience in the ‘shoes’ of the documentary filmmaker, allowing the witness of their own experiences. Through an inherently forced first person point of view, this format could arguably be the most personal approach to filming documentary yet.

The research aims to explore the implications of the new relationship offerings to the viewer and explores the different methods of cinematography of the SMARTI format tool - simultaneous, multiple angle, behavioural aesthetic, perspective method. Simply put, filming a documentary specifically on relationships and behaviours with multiple angles simultaneously from a first person perspective. 

This practice-based work includes the filming of a wide range of contrasting documentaries in this new two camera SMARTI format tool as a proof of concept which, over the course of the research, are being released onto YouTube for public viewing. 

Being a supported research student at Oxford Brookes brings a fantastic opportunity to conduct work that is important to us and our relevant industries within the confines of a nurturing and encouraging environment. Using key knowledgeable figures in the department to both expand research ideas and direct down new paths is worth its weight in gold, and I am so pleased that I get that at Oxford Brookes University.

My only challenge is that I am a part-time student which makes time quite a commodity, but with such a fantastic supervisory team I constantly feel supported with the right level of direction.

The training at Oxford Brookes University truly creates a fostering platform for talk and encouragement. With a mix of structured and open forum classes, and conducted both in-person and hybrid, and recorded for re-watching, it’s just the right blend of supervised learning and freedom to flourish as a research student at Brookes.

This is also coupled with various research networks at the university which encourage again both professional and personal skills ideal for the research student.

I have been extremely privileged, and I am most thankful, to be given the opportunity to both Associate Lecture and supervise Digital Media Production undergraduate and postgraduate students at Oxford Brookes University. As well as the obvious benefits to personal development as a research student, it opens up career pathways and allows students to explore which direction may be suitable for them in the future. I am thoroughly enjoying this and hope to explore more teaching avenues over the course of this degree at Oxford Brookes.

Northern Ireland

There are several reasons why I was drawn to Oxford Brookes University. Specifically, I was attracted to Oxford Brookes University after identifying a funded scholarship opportunity; advertised to conduct doctoral level research in a research area that was directly aligned with my research interests. Appropriately, I benefit from being supervised by experts in my pursued area of study. I enjoy pursuing scholarly endeavours in a city famous for academic pursuits. Oxford City is an inspiring environment and without a doubt one of the best student cities in the UK. 

Prior to commencing PhD study at Oxford Brookes University, I was working full time in customer service and sales. This was following successful completion of my Masters by Research Degree; having graduated from Edinburgh Napier University. 

I found it particularly easy to settle into life on campus at Oxford Brookes University. I enjoy availing of the facilities at the state-of-the-art Headington campus. I value access to the PGR student office. I have strived working in this environment; a productive environment which has resulted in the forming of strong professional connections as well as personal friendships.  I enjoy being a part of a friendly and diverse PGR community. This creates a vibrant atmosphere that has spurred me on.

I am particularly grateful to have been given additional opportunities which have allowed for personal and professional development.  Throughout my tenure at Brookes, I have gained experience working as a research assistant, a co-authorship and associate lecturer. I have also availed of additional opportunities through taking the role of student representative.

My research project is concerned with exploring the interrelationship between dark tourism, screen tourism and dark fandom. Through my research, I aim to extend knowledge on factors which influence dark tourist visitation and general human interest in the macabre.  

I enjoy the generally flexible work schedule. However, the allowance for flexibility requires me to be self-disciplined and self-motivated. 

Noteworthy, PhD student life can be quite isolating with work generally being of an independent nature. However, I have overcome this potential pitfall through becoming strongly immersed in the PGR community at Brookes and availing of the spaces on campus to complete my work.  

I enjoy that being a research student has allowed me to learn and develop in the process of working. Through being a research student, I have been able to immerse myself in my research topic; an area of study which is of genuine interest to me. The feeling that I am conducting innovative research subsequently provides a sense of purpose and reward. 

The training offered at Oxford Brookes has aided in my personal and professional development. For example, I am pleased to have completed the teaching course prior to commencement of work as an associate tutor. 

My future plans are to pursue a career in academia. I aim to conduct further research in my specific, interdisciplinary field of study; building on findings obtained in my PhD study. In addition, I wish to pursue further work in education.

Thailand

I had studied here before.

I was running my own business.

What kinds of insights can digital forms of documentation and dissemination offer on the challenges faced by gay men in rural Thailand? This project aims not only to explore film-making as a critical creative practice, but also to dynamic document and express everyday experiences of gay men in rural Thailand, through practice-based research.

Dynamic document-film is a digital participatory film-making project in the essay film tradition that explores not only alternative film-making, but also rural gay Thai men’s lived realities on film. This enables the researcher, author and/or filmmaker, as well as the participants, to express thoughts, stories, experiences, activities, behaviours, pleasures, and relationships through mobile phone and participatory reporting. This is a dynamic way to remember the past as well as to bridge experiences, thoughts, desires or ideas between one and their viewers, and even oneself. The medium and its method are created through the combination of arts, digital film-making and reporting experiences.

My research offers awareness alongside new understandings of Thai gay men as well as their everyday experiences. It explores whether this is a category that they subscribe to while ensuring that their stories no longer remain under-reported or unsaid. The information and materials gathered are processed manually through film, autoethnography and thematic analysis, with a focus on experimentation and thought through both the experience and the material.

There has been a recent movement towards advancing Thailand’s LGBTIQ rights. LGBTIQ activists and media representatives have reported that the community currently struggles with lack of acceptance in many different areas, including employment opportunities, access to health care, housing, and education. Traditional Thais still view LGBTIQ relationships negatively and the Samui Times and the Bangkok Post claim that same-sex Thai partners and their families are not given the same legal protections as heterosexuals in medical emergencies.

At the same time, several modern film directors have depicted gay themes and characters: Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Tropical Malady (2004) represented rural male (obscured) relationships; Poj Arnon’s romantic, crime action drama Bangkok Love Story (2007) explored the everyday life of gay relationships between masculine males; and Anucha Boonyawatana's Malila: The Farewell Flower (2017) tells the story of a man who returns to his old village to care for his ex-boyfriend, who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Yet, in filling gaps and knowledge (including in film-making and research), there are still fundamental challenges about gays and/or queers that remain unexplored through film. Little research has been carried out through this medium about rural gay men in Thailand.

To generate research into what mobile phone and participatory reporting can offer in the field of film and digital media production, I extend the work of Sue Sudbury’s Village Tales (2015). In “visualising the everyday”, Sudbury explored “The Potential of Participatory Documentary Filmmaking in Rural India”. Sudbury's studies pointed out that, with the camcorder, participants had limited access to several means, which prevented numerous materials from being documented. Sudbury’s work is extended from the practice of “participatory video” pioneered by Don Snowden in the 1960s – the concept of using visual media to document-report on the residents of a community as they face their everyday realities and struggles. Although cameras are considered a tool for visualising the everyday while negotiating about lives and the living, the camera is also considered a weapon that can be used by the participants. In my project, where a mobile phone is already being carried anywhere with the holder, cameras are seen not only as a tool to document the lives or to negotiate the living, but also a personal tool in and for one’s own expression regarding their everyday experiences.

   The main objectives of my project are:

1. To explore methods of digital mobile phone (video) reporting and participatory film-making.
2. To review the context regarding gay male relationships in rural Thailand and the everyday, as well as experience about gay men in general. Offer dynamic information of what is related and valuable to this research with a sense of dynamic document that consists of experiences, works, thoughts and interpretations that can be used interpretatively for further exploration.
3. To document stories of gay males in rural Thailand and utilise the archive as an interpretative tool for understanding the rapport between their relationships, story, reality, desire, mobile media and rural Thailand.
4. To examine the dynamics of mobile phone recording and participatory reporting in and for film and digital media production (dynamic document-film), as well as in and for the everyday experience.
5. To analyse the impact and significance of the thesis film (dynamic document-film) in and for one’s expression, communication, and the documentation of the experiences, thoughts, and under-reported stories of gay Thai men. 

There are numerous challenges but I engage, practice and document anything and everything that I can research.              

To continue to research and document under-reported everyday experiences.

I first heard about Oxford Brookes through www.jobs.ac.uk, where I saw the position for a PhD scholarship being advertised.

The expertise and supervision in new cinema history that Oxford Brookes offers was a major drawcard in coming here. As was the opportunity to apply for a fully-funded scholarship no less!

I was a full-time MA Gender and Media Studies student at the University of Sussex.

I have found the support, guidance and resources available to be of a very high standard. I feel extremely lucky to have been offered a place here.

This project aims to offer new understandings of the Greek-Australian migrant experience from the mid-1950s to the present day. It will explore the impact and significance of cinema-going, and watching Greek films, on the Greek migrant community of Whyalla – a small, South Australian country town. The focus of this research is on the social history of cinema and its audiences from a global perspective - that moves beyond Hollywood - to uncover Greek film, its distribution and its far-flung audiences.

At the same time, it intends to delve into the cultural history and memory of this community - their experiences of arriving and surviving, with limited or, in some cases, no English language skills, and the role that cinema played in this.    

Traditionally, film studies has been concerned with film as a text in much the same way as literary studies has viewed and valued novels. But this project draws inspiration from, and hopes to contribute to, a newly established area in film studies known as new cinema history, whose focus is audiences, film exhibition and consumption, film distribution, programming and production.    

In view of the above, the project is inherently multi-disciplinary and goes some distance beyond the confines of film text to pay more attention to questions of identity, social history, migration, cinema as everyday experience, and the construction of its audience. Alongside this, several methods, histories, localities and approaches - such as media, cultural, migration, geography and post-colonial studies - will be drawn from to construct meaning.    

By exploring the history of Greek migrants in a marginal and rural location, this project not only aims to ensure that their stories no longer remain absent from the archives, but it is also hoped that the insights into migration, displacement and identity that this research will unveil, also impacts upon understandings of the political and cultural debates concerning immigration in the present day.    

Surviving audience members will be asked about their memories of watching Greek films during this time. They will be giving voice to an otherwise silent history and will provide further insights and understandings of an Australian cinema history that includes non-English speaking films; that rural screenings and communities matter, and also belong to this history; and that Greek cinema history includes audiences of the diaspora – that is people who have spread or dispersed from their original homeland. 

I really enjoy the learning and research process very much. I enjoy the opportunities a research environment affords in approaching things from multiple perspectives, histories and disciplines, and then applying this to my own project and thought process. The volume of work and associated tasks involved with PhD work can be overwhelming at times, but breaking tasks up into smaller chunks has proven very helpful for me, as has breaking work time up into 20 minute chunks. This has been a particularly good strategy when I’ve attempted to make a start on something that seems very challenging, invokes much fear and has been the source of much procrastination! Being able to talk openly about any challenges to my supervisor helps enormously too.

The training offered at Oxford Brookes is wide-ranging, covers many skills needed for the PhD and beyond, but also provides support after the training sessions for when it is applied in the field. I have had an introduction to various coding and software packages that I will need for data analysis and feel that once I begin working with my own data, I will be able to put this to use and can call on and draw from the experts who provided the courses. The training I received in the first year has helped lay the groundwork for my field trip to Australia next year.

In terms of my immediate future, I would like to successfully complete my PhD, and make the most that this time has to offer. After that, I would like to remain in a research environment with a focus on people, histories, visual popular cultures, how they intersect, how these intersections have changed over time and what these changes can inform us about our lives now and in the future.

London

I originally attended several courses (including Film Studies) at the Oxford Adult Learning Centre. Several members of staff there suggested approaching Oxford Brookes if I was interested in further study. On an exploratory visit, I found the Brookes staff very friendly and welcoming.

I studied an MA degree in Film Studies at Oxford Brookes.  I found my dissertation so interesting that I wanted to continue to explore the subject. And several members of my faculty supported my decision.

Prior to my retirement in 2010, I worked for over thirty years as a Software Engineer for several international companies such as IBM and Nortel. My main areas of work included communications software such as Intelligent Networks.

Because I had prior experience of the academics I would be working with, I found the process into the research environment straight forward. The support staff and their courses have been very useful as I move forward with my research.

This project intends to offer new understandings of the complex relationship between the Government and the British Film Studios in feature film content and production during the period of the Second World War. It will explore Government policy and institutional organisation and investigate the impact of these processes upon    the representation of the hero figure in feature films. This project’s uniqueness lies in its practice of historical enquiry being decentred, explored and exposed, in the consideration of government policies that relate to feature film narratives. It will open a dialogue with archival resources, to give a visibility and voice to an otherwise unarticulated history of the British cinema.   

I was well prepared academically to undertake this project given my extensive studies with wartime archive material with my MA in Film Studies (my dissertation was on the work of the Films Division within the MoI). What is more, my background working for industry on very large complex communication projects will be useful in untangling the many processes that interlinked government departments and the film studios. As part of my commitment to this project, I have attended the London University MoI Project conference in July 2017, and I am in close contact with their team of researchers for further involvement.  

The MoI was a wartime department, established in 1939, responsible for conducting overseas publicity to neutral and allied countries and for disseminating government propaganda and publicity at home. Its purpose in Britain was not only to keep the public well informed but also to maintain morale of the civilian population. As part of its remit was the area of feature films via the Film Division. Chapman’s The British At War (2000, p5) states that ‘the role of the Film Division has remained largely unwritten’. This project’s central concern is motivated by this gap in knowledge where a film’s full    production history has not been traced. There are many academic works which focus on film’s part production, as in Aldgate and Richards (2007) Britain Can Take It and Mackenzie’s (2001) British War Films.  Consequently, the overall picture of government control and influence has not been included in these works. As such, this project will be ground breaking in exploring the overall framework of government influence on feature film making during the war, considering the Film Studios interactions with the various government departments. I shall look at the film roles presented of the Special Overseas Executive (SOE) operations and investigate what government influences impacted on these heroic representations in film.     

Through a combination of primary and secondary sources, this study will examine if there is evidence of institutional causal links between its policies and film, and that indirectly the role(s) of the hero was changed and enhanced.  Sonya Rose Which People's War? (2003) illustrates the idea of a national identity being reframed as war progressed and that a hero-figure was significant in that framework. These findings provide a new contribution to film history and provide information for further studies utilising the state diagrams and processes I will create and describe.  

Instead of one single theoretical methodology, this qualitative project will draw from reception and film studies, but will also benefit from primary research in the various National Archives. The project is inherently interdisciplinary, as it does not look at film as a singular text, but pays attention to questions of who/what was involved in feature film production and what were the processes involved. This marks this work as a contribution to the field of “new cinema history” (Maltby, 2011, p.3)   

In terms of challenges and difficulties this project might face, one involves the fragmentary and incomplete archive records within Government and the Film Studios. Addressing such challenges will call for a creative approach in methodology, but the gaps in this knowledge are compelling enough to look for new and different clues, and to seek other ways in which connections might be made. Aligned with this approach will be an emphasis on strong time management skills as some archives may be so fragmentary as to be of no use to the project. As for case studies, I will investigate the inner workings of the Film Studios and analysis the production history of films. This will help form a complete picture of the many political pressures on filmmakers to create the final product. Archive media sources in the UK and the USA, such as fan magazines and newspaper articles involving audience’s reception, will be crucial.  

I will examine and analyse pre-war British war/thriller feature films to determine the types of hero depicted within. With help from Campbell (1993) and Levi Strauss (1978) I shall establish which structures and myths form the framework of heroes within feature film narratives. As to the reshaping of the British hero in war time films, I will use a combination of archival research and close textual analysis of feature length feature films. Quantitative research tools such as the text analysis software Voyant, will be useful in looking for trends in large data sets. One of its most powerful features is to track word usages and it supplies the details of the adjoining words (technically known as KWIC – keyword in context) which will help select words, phrases and narratives that are associated with material in their specific context (an example being feature films reviewed in The Documentary Newsletter digital files).   

As my research continues, I really appreciate feedback from my three supervisors. They are always available for a formal or informal chat and I value their input. I also enjoy interacting with other PhD students from other areas of research as we often find ways of helping each other. Since my work in on a part-time basis, I have always an aim to complete tasks on a weekly basis to keep me on track.

Very good. I like the fact that there are courses for all abilities and desires.

I want to continue to enjoy the whole experience and maybe publish my finished work as a book. I would like other younger researchers to be influenced by my work and carry it forward.

India

I first came to know about Oxford Brookes University through a list of recommended universities across Europe at which to pursue a doctoral degree in the field of mechanical and material sciences, displayed on my ResearchGate profile. One of the faculty members of the University had posted an announcement regarding a PhD position for the UltraMelt2 project. Apparently, the previous version of this project i.e. UltraMelt was very successful with numerous research publications and noteworthy contribution from the research faculty of Oxford Brookes University and other team members.

The PhD project at Oxford Brookes University seemed interesting and was aligned very closely to my educational background and previous work experiences. Moreover, the research area of project UltraMelt2 is one the most promising and emerging fields in the metal industry at present, funded by EPSRC. This project funding was in collaboration with two other leading UK universities and three industrial partners. Also, I came to know that Oxford Brookes University has a very strong industrial collaboration which would significantly help me in my career development. And last but not the    least, it would be an opportunity of a lifetime to study in the ‘city of dreaming spires’.  

Before coming to UK, I was in Germany as a DAAD funded scholar student from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India and was carrying out my Master’s thesis work at the Leibniz Institute of Solid State Materials Research, Dresden.

It was quite easy for me to settle in the research environment as the members of the research group were very sociable and responsive. My supervisors and other friends from India have been very supportive to me allowing me to get very comfortable with the surroundings. I am very much overwhelmed with the help received from the International Student Advice Team and the Research Degrees Team for all the resources, and the Doctoral Training Program sessions and various other researcher training induction programmes. I am very much satisfied with the facilities provided to research students at Brookes. The technical staff in the department are very compliant to the requirements of research students to conduct high quality research. The library and the online resource facilities such as IT services are very active at all times and respond to the demands of research students almost immediately.

Our use of metals is so important that it defines periods of human civilization – from the Bronze Age (3600 BC) to the Iron Age (1100 BC). With our present-day mastery of metals and alloys, the mounting emphasis is now on resources and the environment. The metal industry is looking at new ways to produce lighter, stronger materials in a sustainable, economical and pollution-free manner. Ultrasonic melt treatment (UST) is one such green alternative way to a range of conventional melt processes that embraces these goals. UST introduces high intensity ultrasonic waves into liquid metal to induce acoustic cavitation. Laboratory tests show that UST offers beneficial effects: accelerated diffusion, activation of inclusions, improved wetting, dissolution, cluster breakup, and dispersion of particles. UST has a great potential to significantly improve the properties of metallic materials; with benefits of melt degassing, improved wetting of inclusions, enhanced heterogeneous nucleation, refined as-cast structure, and the deagglomeration and dispersion of reinforcing and grain-refining particles. UST and the resulting production of high-quality light alloys are of great interest to the casting, automotive and aerospace industries (viz. accelerated research currently ongoing in China and the USA). UST adds value to manufacturing by environment-friendly melt degassing without the need for either polluting (Cl, F) or expensive (Ar) gases, also eliminating complex processing steps such as fluxing, and by reducing demand for expensive grain refinement additives (Ti, B). Regardless of the beneficial outcome, allocation of this favourable expertise to industry has been flooded by problems, specifically in modifying large amounts of liquid metal typical in methods for instance 'Direct Chill (DC)' continuous casting for ingot making. A shift to efficient continuous processing of large melt volumes as needed by the industry, as well as the possibility for the industry to adopt and adapt this technology, requires the development of validated computer simulation tools based on the experimental gathered data. 

To determine the optimum parameters for continuous melt treatment relevant to industrial applications, the proposed project endeavours to develop a quantified experimental description of the ultrasonic melt processing, with a particular focus on the interaction between cavitating bubble structures and solid or gaseous phases typically present in the melt. The research hypothesis is that cavitation bubbles generated by the ultrasonic source have a triple role: implode and generate new bubbles (multiplication), grow and absorb hydrogen from Al melt (degassing), and mechanically interact with solid crystals and inclusions facilitating heterogeneous grain nucleation and refinement (we consider cavitation-induced homogeneous nucleation as irrelevant to real solidification). These effects can be translated to large melt volumes through continuous UST in the melt flow based on the two principle observations made in UltraMelt, i.e. the cavitation bubbles are advected downstream still being within the ultrasound field and the flow management through strategically placed baffles in a launder enlarges the areas of high acoustic pressure. 

The metal industry holds the fourth place in sales value among the UK manufacturing industries, representing 7.0 % of the total product sales in 2014, amounting to £25.4 billion. 97% of all metal products manufactured require at least one melting and solidification processing stage, this shows how important it is to understand and control the structures that evolve in solidifying metals, alloys and their composites. After iron, aluminium - the melt of interest in this research - is the most important structural metallic material. This research will open the pathway to the design of more efficient processes that can produce lighter and stronger metallic materials on the industrial scale. The impacts of this research on the environment and society include fuel economy and reduced emissions with the advent of recyclable lighter stronger materials, energy and emissions reduction in the processes involved and avoiding the use of polluting and contaminating fluxes, gases and refiners in manufacturing. 

Until the recent research outcomes of our collaborators Brunel University and University of Greenwich via a number of related projects (UltraMelt, UltraCast and ExoMet), only few ex situ and in situ quantified studies of ultrasonic melt treatment in the metallic melt had been reported. Acoustic spectra and pressures    were for the first time measured in the aluminium melt in Brunel University with an advanced calibrated high temperature cavitometer. The effects of various factors (operating temperature, transducer power, and distance from source) were quantified. Using particle-image velocimetry (PIV) and high-speed imaging, the acoustic streaming and cavitation profiles in different liquids were characterised and the behavior of liquid aluminium under sonication was inferred by dimensional analysis. Water was found to be a suitable transparent analogue to liquid aluminium for studying acoustic cavitation. High speed and high-energy X-ray imaging (in collaboration with Manchester, Oxford, Hull, DLS) enabled the observation and quantification of cavitation bubble dynamics and sonocapillary effect, and the effects of nano-particles on cavitation development. A unique technique was developed in Brunel University allowing in situ observation of intermetallic fragmentation by cavitation bubbles. Numerous ex situ studies confirmed the effects of UST on degassing, structure refinement, and particle dispersion. On the technological level, proof-of-concept experiments at Brunel University supported the promising scheme of UST in the melt flow. The proposed plan of work further advances these experimental techniques to the industrially relevant phenomena of crystal fragmentation, particle deagglomeration, and ultrasonic processing in the melt flow, providing both a greater insight into the fundamental mechanisms and the validation of the developed models.                              

With the continuous evolution of science and technology, research may have become a challenging task, but all the hard work that helps you appreciate the amount of work involved in the innovation and discoveries and also makes you feel honoured to be contributing towards humankind. Being a research student takes you beyond classroom knowledge and allows you to think more critically, deeply, ingeniously and independently, which not only helps to expand the horizons of human knowledge, but also helps you to grow as an individual. It also helps in building a professional network with people across the globe.

It has been 5 years now since I entered into the research discipline. Challenges in research are inevitable and are bound to be present. It all depends on how well you manage and execute your objectives. The major challenge for a research student is to first obtain meaningful data from the work/experiments and then to justify your findings with some concrete explanation. Publishing work and articles in renowned journals is another big challenge that many researchers face, and the best way to overcome this challenge is through a comprehensive literature survey. It is important to have a significant amount of background literature knowledge on the proposed area in order to comprehend, accomplish and articulate your novel methodology. It’s as simple as that.                  

I have found it very worthwhile attending the various research student training sessions at Oxford Brookes. The training provides understanding of research integrity i.e. rigour, ethics, transparency and contribution of others while carrying out research work in different areas. The training is especially useful for people who have just entered into the research environment. 

The training has allowed me to look into various stages of research work with an unbiased approach and to understand the intricacies of the same through proper management and planning. I truly believe that attending these research training programmes will always give you some sort of moral and intellectual support to undertake work in a more useful way.

After completing my doctoral degree, I intend to work in an industrial research sector wherein I can put my knowledge and skills to develop something new that can directly or indirectly benefit humankind, gain different experiences and professional knowledge, and ultimately I would like to attain a leadership role somewhere in the metal industry. I also wish to be able to extend my technical expertise and offer help to other deprived sections of society through social services.

Portugal

I first heard about Oxford Brookes when looking for the best institution to pursue a Master’s degree in Motorsport Engineering. I did not have the opportunity to attend a Postgraduate Fair however all my expectations were met. The facilities are probably what initially impressed me the most with plenty of high end racing cars on display and incredible equipment available. However it was when the interaction with lecturers and technicians started that the real value of Oxford Brookes shined through.

Having achieved my Master’s degree in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes I was very familiar with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (MEMS). I had the chance to know the people and the equipment related to my area of interest before and I made the decision to stay and continue to develop my understanding of my area. This decision was made even easier when I was awarded a Research Studentship in commemoration of the 150^th Anniversary of Oxford Brookes University.

Settling into the research environment was very straight forward. Research students are very approachable and the facilities are organized in a way that promotes interaction, making it easy to get to know everyone. There are also great initiatives from students, Department and University to organise and promote social events. The amount of resources available is fantastic; the University has free access to a great database of journals and other publications with plenty of support from librarians specialised in different subjects.

The typical automotive suspension system is composed of a spring and damper installed at each wheel of the vehicle. The characteristics of the spring/damper pair are carefully selected in order to confer the desired behaviour to the vehicle. Generically, automotive suspension should promote traction and stability during dynamic manoeuvres while providing the required amount of comfort to passengers. The challenge in automotive suspension design arises from the conflicting nature of the parameters needed to achieve a balanced behaviour.                

Current passive systems employ dampers with nonlinear characteristics that provide different levels of force depending on the velocity, and sometimes position, of the damper. The correct choice of nonlinear characteristics can achieve a compromise that confers the intended characteristics. Achieving the optimal setup is a complex task that typically relies on iterative methods that require a large amount of time and resources as well as testing grounds or specialised equipment.              

Virtual simulation has become an important tool for optimisation. However, due to the complex nature of the problem being addressed this method tends to require a large amount of computational resources. The development of a set of parametric equations capable of determining the optimal damper functions for a wide range of vehicles and applications would address the current issues related to optimising a passive system without the excessive cost and complexity of implementing an active system. 

The most enjoyable part of being a research student is having the freedom to pursue knowledge in the area of interest. It is very rewarding when I realise that I am slowly progressing into becoming an expert in the field. It is also challenging as it can be hard to manage all that freedom. Exploring a new topic opens quite a few doors of possible leads to follow and this can quickly become overwhelming if a clear sense of direction is not present. An essential skill that has to be developed and mastered during an MPhil/PhD is undoubtedly time management.

Oxford Brookes University offers a very comprehensive training program for research students. The Doctoral Training Program (DTP) is composed of weekly training sessions/lectures covering different areas that are of interest for researchers. Ethics, data visualisation, and speaking with the media are some examples of topics covered during these sessions which are a valuable addition to the program.

Palestine.

Once, I had a friend who graduated from OBU. This was my initial exposure to the institution. Later, as I began to explore Ph.D. programs in Autonomous Driving, I stumbled upon the research of Fabio Cuzzolin, a scholar affiliated with OBU. I was captivated by the depth and innovation of his work. Consequently, this discovery became the catalyst for my decision to apply to OBU, with the hopes of furthering my academic journey in the realm of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, and Autonomous Driving.

For any research student, the prominence and expertise of their prospective supervisor or Principal Investigator (PI) is a pivotal consideration. In my quest for the ideal research environment, I was drawn to the work of Fabio, a renowned figure in my field of interest. His laboratory is recognized for contributing substantial and impactful research papers, which truly resonate with my academic aspirations. This alignment of academic values and interests, coupled with Fabio’s distinguished reputation, was the fundamental reason behind my decision to apply.

I was a Machine Learning Engineer at a biomedical engineering company, and a lecturer at a Palestinian university.

Navigating the initial phase of my academic journey proved to be a challenging experience, as my arrival coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. This circumstance necessitated virtual interactions with my supervisors and colleagues, thereby limiting the richness of our engagements. However, as the government gradually lifted COVID-related restrictions, the dynamics of my interactions evolved. I found myself immersed in a more engaging and stimulating academic environment, where face-to-face collaborations and discussions became possible once again.

My research exists at the intersection of vehicles and Artificial Intelligence, focusing on the challenge of predicting the intentions and trajectories of other agents in driving scenarios. This prediction capability is crucial for autonomous vehicles to anticipate the actions of other road users, facilitating the generation of safe and reliable paths while eliminating potential accident routes.

Prediction in autonomous driving is complex due to the partially observable environment, the uncertainty of future actions, and the multi-agent nature of roads with agents possessing varying goals and dynamic features. Most current models approach this from a bird’s eye view, assuming access to highdefinition maps containing comprehensive information about all agents in the vicinity. In reality, systems might not have real-time data on agents’ locations, and some areas may lack maps or have outdated ones.

A small subset of researchers have tackled this challenge from the ego vehicle's perspective, which aligns more closely with the actual on-ground scenario faced by human drivers. However, these studies often treat the problem as a single-agent prediction challenge, neglecting the complex interactions between multiple agents on the road.

Therefore, a significant research gap exists in addressing the multi-agent prediction challenge from the perspective of the ego vehicle, which represents a more realistic and practically relevant approach to enhancing the safety and reliability of autonomous driving systems. This is the primary focus of my research.

I enjoy intellectual growth, the freedom to explore my research interests independently, and the ability to make meaningful contributions to the scientific community. However, my enthusiasm for collaborative research occasionally leads to an overloaded schedule, as I find it challenging to decline invitations to new projects. Additionally, the inherent trial-and-error nature of research means that some ideas and experiments inevitably fail, which can be difficult to come to terms with.

To navigate these challenges, I employ a range of strategies. I utilize Notion, a comprehensive organizational tool, to meticulously manage my time and keep track of my various commitments. Additionally, I actively seek guidance and support from my mentors, who provide valuable insights and advice. 

Lastly, I have learned to view failure not as a setback, but as an invaluable learning opportunity that contributes to my personal and professional growth.

I believe the experience was incredibly beneficial as it laid a solid foundation for new researchers, myself included, facilitating a smooth transition into our respective core research areas. Moreover, it played a crucial role in helping us set realistic expectations and gain a clearer understanding of what our research journeys would entail.

My future aspirations include pursuing postdoctoral opportunities that align with my field of interest. I would be particularly delighted to apply for a position that explores the integration of machine theory of mind into autonomous vehicles, and the integration of deep learning in studying brain degenerative diseases.

Sheffield

I discovered Oxford Brookes University through findaphd.com. The PhD programme appealed to me, so I began to research the University. On first impressions, Oxford Brookes looked to have a good computing department and facilities. The overall University looked welcoming for new students, and Oxford as a city looked beautiful.

What attracted me to Oxford Brookes University was the nature of the research project offered, which allowed me to progress my previous academic interests, within artificial intelligence and computing. I found the proposed topic extremely interesting and there was funding available which would allow me to study full time. I received a welcoming response when I emailed to find out about the research.

I completed a master’s degree in philosophy in 2010, after which I worked for several years in analyst roles. In the year prior to beginning my PhD, I was undertaking a further master’s in psychology, whilst working as a support worker for Mencap.

I struggled at first to find direction and formal structure for my research, but my supervisors were very supportive and gradually things became clearer. Being entirely new to Oxford, I didn’t know any other researchers, but I found other PhD students and staff members in the department to be very helpful and forthcoming. The initial one-day induction was very well structured and gave an overall idea of what a PhD student should do. It was also nice to meet students in a similar position. I have found the networking events throughout the year a good opportunity to meet people.

The aim of my project is to design, create and evaluate autonomous moral artificial intelligence. The topic sits at the intersection of philosophy, psychology and computer science and involves looking at moral theory and finding a way to successfully put this into a machine.        

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a subject that has gained increasing public interest in recent years and it is becoming more popular. Simply put, AI involves re-creating human intelligence in a computer. Recent well-known advancements in this area include IBM’s Watson AI that was able to beat human contestants at Jeopardy, and the programme AlphaGo, created by Deepmind, that was able to successfully beat a human world champion at the board game Go. In the media, we have seen recent controversial advancements in autonomous car technology (the ability for a car to drive on its own), autonomous weapons, and robotics; all using AI. This has provoked a huge public response. Questions arise surrounding whether AI will take all our jobs or – worse still – whether machines will ever become so super intelligent that they pose a threat to human existence (see Bostrom’s Superintelligence).

As AI becomes ever more autonomous and involved in our day-to-day lives, there is the need for it to be governed in a similar way to humans – by morals. We would hope that a robot interacting with us on a daily basis would make appropriate moral decisions or that AI used to make important decisions makes those ethically. However, it is not so obvious how to make an AI moral. The traditional approach to programming an AI does not seem applicable when it comes to morals. A set of morals cannot be simply programmed into an AI (1) because it would be impossible to ever exhaustively think of every moral available and (2) because it’s not obvious how this would help an AI decide how to act in a moral situation.        

The purpose of my PhD is to find a more suitable approach to placing morals within AI. The hypothesis is that the best approach is to mimic the development of morals within children, and so create an AI that learns morals itself in a similar way. I am in the process of designing an AI that will be able to learn appropriate moral behaviours by picking up on social cues from its environment. The AI will then be evaluated by placing it in a game scenario, where we determine whether it behaves morally. It involves understanding the psychology of how children develop morals, sociology to ascertain the appropriate social cues, and some economics and game theory.         

I find the topic I am researching extremely interesting. It is at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence research and I get to work with enthusiastic and stimulating people here at Brookes. As a PhD student, I have a deep pool of opportunities, including all the resources available at the University and from the Graduate College. I found initial orientation at the University difficult, but supervisors and staff here were very willing to help me settle in. Just asking people lots of questions helped me get the support I needed.

The research training programme is rich and well planned. The induction helped prepare me for the first phase of my PhD and I have found training courses, from both the Graduate College and within my department, to be well taught and informative. Graduate College training courses have given me general skills to help me within academia, whilst the department programmes have given more specific tools – such as how to use Endnote.

At the moment, I am unsure of my future plans, but I feel I have lots of options open to me. If I fit in well to academia through my research, I will pursue a position within a university after my PhD, but I will also look at what kinds of opportunities there are within industry.        

I also have a start-up business that I am in the process of establishing, so this could be something to work on. 

China

After completing my master’s degree at the University of Dundee, I was looking for a doctorate which allowed me to explore and learn new things in detail. Oxford Brookes University was offering some really interesting PhD project opportunities online (at jobs.ac.uk).

What really attracted me to Oxford Brookes University was the opportunity to be involved in a cutting edge project. I was impressed with the research interests and the experience of my supervisors: Dr Neil Fellows and Professor John Durodola. And what’s more, the PhD was fully funded by the Oxford Brookes University 150th anniversary scholarship.

I did my undergraduate degree in Tianjin Medical University with the exchange year at the University of Dundee. Then I continued my MSc in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Dundee, for which I achieved a Distinction.

I love the research environment here; everyone is friendly and helpful. There is lots of training offered at Brookes and I have gained really valuable skills in research and self-development. My supervisors have been really patient, supportive and constantly provide me with encouragement, valuable advice and unconditional help.

Long fibre reinforced metal matrix composites have been under development since the early 1990s but had struggled to become commercial due to high manufacturing costs. This lack of commercial success had curtailed investment, hindering proper understanding of the material properties and component design optimisation.        

However, there are niche applications where the strength to weight ratio makes them commercially attractive, for example Al/C composites are now successfully used in a number of countries as over-head power transmission cables. New improved manufacturing techniques are leading to improved material properties at lower cost. This improves the potential for commercial viability and provides an impetus for further research into material characterisation and design optimisation.        

My project aims to utilise modelling techniques to optimise both material and component design. The applications being considered are for automotive engine, vehicle crash and biomedical components.

The best part of being a research student is the opportunity it provides to improve my ability to understand and solve problems, to explore and learn new things every day and push myself to new heights.

The research training offered at Brookes is really helpful. It covers a wide range of topics from research time management to technical analysis skills.

My goal is to apply my knowledge and skills into practice. Undertaking a PhD is a great experience and an opportunity to challenge myself. It has improved my ability to solve complex problems and helped me develop valuable transferrable skills. It is an excellent training process for creativity, professionalism and confidence.

Malaysia.

Oxford Brookes is a well-known institution and listed among the top 10 best architecture schools, especially in Urban Design therefore it requires no introduction at all. Plus, I have known a few people graduating from Brookes in Architecture and Urban Design including some of my former lecturers. I never attended the postgraduate fairs so I can’t comment much about it.

I have been searching for the opportunity to undertake a PhD programme since 2015 with the right supervisor to guide me, and I come to read about Dr Alan Reeve research works/papers which have caught my attention. His expertise in urban design together with the university's credibility and excellent facilities provided has become the main reason why I choose OBU. 

Previously, I worked as a tutor (Studio Demonstrator and an Urban Design lecturer) for undergraduate students of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Malaya while still pursuing my master's (M.Arch) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Shortly after graduated, I begun working as a transport planner and it was my first ever professional job.  Within 6 years of work, I was involved in a few notable public transport development projects in Malaysia such as the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) 3 Extension, MRT3 Circle Line, & High-Speed Rail Network (Just to name a few)  focussing on my expertise in station design and feasibility study. It was a great experience working professionally however, it’s about time to pursue my dream and do the PhD.

Honestly, it is not awkward to switch directions from professional industry to academia as I have little experience in research during my master's where which I was a research assistant at that same time. I never regret leaving my comfort zone of fixed-paid salary and come back to be a student and pursue my dream. I was actually quite surprised that Brookes provides support, facilities and resources for PhD students more than I expected. I have an excellent supervisory team, which is Dr Alan Reeve (As director of studies) and Dr Karl Kropf (second supervisor) to help me build my confidence, lending their expertise and guidance on how to do research. In addition, meeting and getting to know other PhD students here have helped me a lot to adjust myself to this new environment and culture so I am excited from the very beginning of my studies. 

Liveability has become an important concept because all the cities in the world are currently facing an urbanization crisis and pressure to provide best living condition to its people. But does heritage make a city liveable? Although the concept of liveability is complex and conveys various meanings, UNESCO asserts that a liveable environment is more likely to be present if there is a strong connection between communities and heritage. In this sense, heritage areas can positively influence the liveability of places. However, there has been limited research into the relationship between heritage conservation and the liveability of urban environments. This lack of a clear evidence base in relation to how heritage is treated as part of liveability in both development and conservation policy, has resulted in challenges in both formulating and implementing appropriate policies generally.

In this research, most of the Kuala Lumpur built heritage is in strategically prime locations, where there is a significant risk of redevelopment and destruction of important heritage assets.

The concept of liveability in Malaysia has been alluded to and articulated in several key policies relating to heritage conservation over the last few years. The trend of including heritage as an aspect of the government’s aspirations for liveability has been increasing by utilizing abandoned and underused  buildings of heritage value. Policy and other development instruments, such as conservation programmes, can be a catalyst for establishing sustainable communities in heritage areas, reinstating their original purpose as living neighbourhoods. In this context, the thesis aims to investigate the relationship between heritage value and liveability, and how this has come to be reflected in policy making and implementation strategies in the future, specifically in the Malaysian context. This research will also review the current heritage policy framework, and its contribution to the liveability of Kuala Lumpur city.

The importance of heritage has been recognised for several decades, and was first explicitly mentioned in the Malaysia Plan 1986, specifically in relation to its potential for strengthening tourism activities. Subsequently, there is evidence of a growing social awareness of heritage in Malaysia, with the introduction of the National heritage Act 2005. As applied in practice, however, the legislation has not prevented the demolition of buildings of significant heritage value and have not protected areas with heritage significance very effectively. The demolitions and lack of effectiveness also suggests a broader, if implicit, agenda in which built heritage has been given less value than new development. The effectiveness of conservation practice is questionable, although Kuala Lumpur is guided by its own heritage policy. Many researchers stated that this situation is mainly caused by a conflict in attitudes and different perceptions among stakeholders of heritage value. In essence, this research has the potential to critically assess current policies, and identify what policy modifications and implementation strategies might be necessary to better align Kuala Lumpur's aspirations to be a more liveable city, with the potential for a wider range of its heritage to be retained as a key contributor to such liveability.

What I love about being a researcher is a never-ending curiosity and constant questions playing out in my mind about everything that happened in my surrounding. I believe it freshens my mind and controls my thoughts as I need to be aware and sensitive about every aspect of life. The ultimate challenge I have experienced so far is to manage research studies and social life at the same time. Coming from Asian background and culture, we never get used to compliments or taking a break when we needed it the most and it can be very difficult to manage. I have pledged to work hard then play harder and make this PhD journey fun, enjoyable and not as lonely as people claimed it to be. Treating myself with an ice cream date sometime makes a huge difference as well.

I was thankful that Brookes provide adequate training, especially in software training as it is a crucial part of my PhD.  All the training provided by both Faculty, Graduate College, Library and many more are super useful however, I do wish they could provide one-to-one basic training for software and special continuous methodology class.

Besides continuing and advocating its importance either via academic or research works,  I just hope I would be able to do it as well by finishing my book (doodle mostly) entitle: “My Heritage, is Your Heritage” and hopefully it gives some positive impact to everyone perhaps that one day, peoples perspective on heritage and together protecting them as long as they could.

I heard about Oxford Brookes University through a personal recommendation from my Professor in Merida Arq. Edgardo Bolio Arceo, PhD, who previously studied at Brookes.

I was attracted to Oxford Brookes for many reasons. Firstly, through personal recommendations from some Professors and colleagues in Merida, and the amazing cultural environment in Oxfordshire. Secondly, I was attracted by the Research Group, particularly the research and experience of Professor Georgia Butina Watson. Her research and expertise is well known in Mexico. Thirdly I consulted the University website and other online reviews from students. So far, I must say, I am very satisfied with my decision.  

I was combining professional practice with teaching BA in Architecture and Habitat Design at the Faculty of Architecture, UADY, in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.  I also was painting in my free time the human body, experimenting with different techniques as well as urban sketching with ink and watercolour.  I was very busy being a mum too and perhaps that is the reason it took me a long time to decide to start this PhD.

It was very easy to get used to everything, despite arriving a little bit late (first week of October). Everyone was very helpful from the beginning and that really made it feel like home. The research environment at Oxford Brookes is great. I have been very lucky with my supervisors Georgia Butina Watson and Laura Novo de Acevedo, who have been wonderful. Their guidance and professionalism has been essential to develop my proposal. My PhD colleagues come from different nationalities and I have learnt a lot from them. Therefore friendships and knowledge flourish in abundance because it comes from different sources and costumes. The resources available at the University are very good, although I wish to be more in touch with art groups, so I could learn new ways to involve art in the urban scenery which undoubtedly improves cultural landscapes.

Cultural landscapes are historically intertwined in the urban development of many cities. They provide a sense of cultural identity and help explain the relationship between natural and human processes through time (Radović, 2009; Plieninger and Bieling, 2012). In the past, traditional cultural landscapes were characterized by their symbiotic connection with local communities and their ability to adapt to the environment (Adam, 2011; Brislin, 2012). However, many of them have experienced fundamental transformations with severe impact on the ecosystem of human settlements (Butina Watson and Bentley, 2007; Hopkins, 2015). Unsustainable solutions in architecture and urban design, as well as the homogenization of cultural landscapes are becoming common phenomena affecting their local place-identity (Brislin and Pallasmaa, 2012).   

The city of Merida is a representative case. Merida is the capital of the Yucatan state which concentrates the political, economic and cultural power in the region. For many years, these enticements and its geographic location have attracted changes in the urban scenery. From the sixteenth to the first half of the twentieth century, new trends transformed the Mayan cultural landscape; yet, key heritage values endured and evolved thanks to their effectiveness and resilience (Chico, 2002; Román, 2002; Espadas, 2003; Peraza, 2008).      

Nowadays, these values have been forgotten and the city is becoming an anonymous entity, poorly defined and insensible to the value of environment. New developments usually imitate international consumer trends uncritically forgetting the lessons from the past (Peraza, 2008; Adam, 2011; Canto, 2013). Moreover, weak planning strategies, regulatory framework and governance processes foster the rise of incompatible land uses, impacting negatively on the continuity of traditional cultural landscapes (Alonso 2003; Bolio, 2012). This erosion is a major concern for the residents and various professional groups, who are seeking new ways to preserve their heritage in order to rediscover their identity and to achieve sustainable solutions at the urban level. Then, the challenge will be to promote an innovative approach in urban design that re-evaluates and integrates the essential components of the local cultural landscape and place-identity, to preserve the heritage and also to find equilibrium between nostalgia of the past and progress.   

Therefore, the aim of this research is to develop a conceptual framework and methodology to define the cultural landscape and place-identity in the city of Merida, Yucatan and to develop theoretical and urban design propositions to achieve a positive and sustainable place-identity. This will benefit the local community to: a) preserve and revitalise their cultural landscapes; and b) add value to the urban development encouraging a sustainable design in Merida.   

I think one of the most difficult challenges so far has been the time management between family chores, painting and research at the same time. My son is 9 years old and requires attention and support.  I remember the first semester I struggled with research training times and deadlines. However, my husband, the staff and other PhD colleagues have been fantastic and really supportive. Another major challenge is that I live in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. It is a fantastic small community but it usually takes me more than an hour to travel to the University. The bus fares are expensive too. Despite the distance and cost, I discovered that the time I take to come to University it has helped me to feel and learn more of British cultural landscapes. I love the different scenery between Faringdon and Oxford, and walking through the city of Oxford which gives me time to read, perceive and analyse many things.

The research training at Brookes offers a wide variety of options and they come from different sources: from research seminars, lunch-time and Spark sessions or the research student training sessions.  I particularly like that some courses are available more than once in a year. They are very well organised in advance stating clearly the purpose, duration and what you can expect to learn in each course. Moreover, you are not alone in this task. Your supervisors guide you to choose the ones that help you develop skills or new knowledge useful for your research training.

I would like to go back into teaching and continue doing research. I discovered that new knowledge is waiting to be discovered every day. I would like to continue with my art too.

Albania

I completed an Msc in Sustainable Building: Performance and Design at Oxford Brookes in 2013.

I did my master’s degree here and I was aware of the high teaching quality and the great support and facilities at Brookes. However, what really attracted me the most to conduct my research at Oxford Brookes was the international reputation and recognition of the Low Carbon Building Group and its Director, Professor Rajat Gupta, for research on the area of buildings, energy and sustainability.

For the last five years, I have been developing properties with my family in Brighton. Prior to starting the PhD, I had also been involved in the project of ‘Waste House’ at the University of Brighton; from the building’s construction to installing and commissioning of the monitoring system for collecting environmental data regarding the building’s performance.

Initially, being a new mum of a four month old baby, it was very challenging. Then, day by day, my confidence and motivation grew together with my motherhood instincts. My supervisor always says: your PhD is as old as your daughter. However, I want my daughter to live forever but want my research project to end this year.        

I have been very lucky to work with two internationally recognised professors: Professor Rajat Gupta and Professor Fergus Nicol, who above anything else have been very supportive throughout my studies. There have also been various sources available at the University that have made this journey even more thoughtful.

In an acknowledged reality, where improving the energy performance of existing housing stock provides the greatest potential to energy savings and achieving national and global carbon reduction targets, different cases of unsuccessful retrofitting activities have indicated multiple barriers, even when they are technical and financially viable. Often, they are associated with relatively high levels of uncertainty of their acceptance or successful outcome because of the number of stakeholders that are involved and their backgrounds, knowledge, position, objectives and interests. Therefore, the retrofits that take place need to be considered in a wider context than purely technical and must include occupants’ behaviours and practices in the housing. 

Against this context, my doctoral study aims to investigate the most effective retrofitting strategies to achieve energy and emission reductions, which are not only technically feasible and affordable but also acceptable to people. This research will bring monitoring, energy modelling and people's perceptions together to develop feasible measures for energy retrofits. Treating households as in-depth case studies and developing better energy modelling informed by reality and pre-retrofit surveys that creates a full picture of the actual performance of the houses, will be central to predicting energy savings.        

This is a once in the life-time opportunity for me to be able to focus 100% on one research project, to read and to be able to contribute to knowledge; and to be rewarded for my hard work by being an expert in that small discovery. With no doubt, this has been the most challenging experience for me; where you have to research in every single step of the project, and it is amazing how you can find answers for everything. Not all days are the same, but I try to work at least eight hours a day on my research. I set deadlines and I have always written up after each analysis.

I liked the fact that most of the training was focused in the first year and gave me the necessary technical and practical knowledge and skills to conduct a research project. It offered a variety of topics and it was related to my area of research.

I have found that retrofitting existing buildings is one of my greatest interests. I have also realised that research can take everything to another level. Therefore, my professional future will be related to buildings, design and research. Unquestionably, I would also like to contribute to my country, Albania, through creating collaborations for research projects in the future.

Croatia

I first heard about Oxford Brookes University back in 2010 when I was searching for top UK architecture schools and courses about sustainability in architecture. I saw an advertisement for a PhD scholarship at Oxford Brookes and, after arriving in Oxford, I was really impressed with the new modern buildings and great facilities at the Headington campus.

I had been searching for a while for the opportunity to undertake a PhD programme with the right research topic, and supported by a scholarship. I was interested in learning more about sustainability in architecture, therefore seeing the opportunity to undertake a funded PhD study about an eco-housing development in the UK seemed very attractive. Also, to have Professor Rajat Gupta, a well-known researcher in the field, to be my Director of Studies was an excellent opportunity.

Before commencing my research programme, I worked for 7 years in architecture and adjacent fields, such as construction management of domestic projects, consultancy in sustainable buildings and sustainable urban landscaping. I worked in Europe, Central America and South East Asia.

It was quite challenging to switch from the industry to the academic mind-set and work dynamics. However, the support and resources provided by the University helped with this transition.

In line with international action on limiting global warming, the UK Government has delivered Planning policy statement 1: eco-towns supplement (PPS1) defining advanced environmental standards of future eco-housing settlements. A housing development in Oxfordshire is the sole project complying with the planning supplement, aspiring to achieve targets such as zero carbon emissions from dwelling use, 80 litres/ household/ day water consumption, > 45% of non-car travels and high waste recycling rates by combining energy efficient design and "green" infrastructure aimed to foster pro-environmental behaviours amongst residents. Energy monitoring results of new low-carbon homes have revealed up to three times more energy used than targeted (performance gap), while assessments of pioneering eco-developments reported difficulties in making their residents’ lifestyles more sustainable.    

Taking a socio-technical approach, this study aims to assess the real energy and environmental performance of the first two phases of the case study eco-housing development in Oxfordshire. Broad assessment includes empirical monitoring (dwelling energy use, energy generation, water use and indoor conditions) and gathering resident feedback in terms of experience and satisfaction with dwelling use and environmental behaviours (transportation, waste recycling and food purchasing). Based on real performance data, case study findings will contribute to the evidence base about real environmental performance of eco-housing neighbourhoods, provide feedback to the project delivery team and planning policy makers, but also inform practitioners in future planning, design, delivery and monitoring processes of similar ambitious projects.    

I enjoy having access to literature, being able to share ideas and receive and give support to my colleagues during this programme. There are numerous challenges a student faces over 3-4 years of study and it is no wonder many of us struggle, some even stop studying. The main strategy I came up with is to be part of a supportive research community, but also to build up your mental strength, inner discipline, perseverance, flexibility, motivation and patience, in order to cope with continuous work pressure, but also the weather and reduced quality of life as a student.

Research training offered is an introduction to approaches in research and methodologies. Each study is different and requires a deep dive into literature.

My old personal and professional future plans now need to adapt to the reality of changing climate, causing multiple socio-economic and environmental issues globally, occurring faster than previously expected by existing scientific models. Once understood, this is indeed an incredibly hard thing to accept, and to still find meaning and joy in the things we do every day.