Southampton Ship Science student is a winner of the UKNEST prestigious national maritime contest
MEng Ship Science/Naval Architecture student Alex Holt will be spending next summer at one of the UK’s leading shipbuilders. He is one of the winners of a prestigious national contest, after submitting an essay on the impact of naval defence on the environment at the end of his first year. He has been awarded a bursary, mentoring by an industry professional and a vacation placement at either BAE Systems or BMT on the south coast.
Alex has been interested in the sea and ships for many years, dating back to his days as a sea scout and has ambitions to design ships for a career. The placement will help him put his knowledge into practice at one of the UK’s leading companies and develop professional contacts in shipbuilding.
He is enjoying his studies at Southampton. “It’s great to learn from lecturers who love ships and have incredible contacts in industry,” says Alex. “We also get to meet famous alumni such as Stephen Payne, the designer of the new Queen Mary, who come back to Southampton to share their experiences.
The contest was run by UKNEST (UK Naval Engineering Science and Technology), a collaboration between the defence industry, the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology (IMarEST) and the Royal Association of Naval Architects (RINA). Nineteen students who wrote essays on the future of naval defence were shortlisted and ten were chosen as winners after a presentation session to defence industry representatives in London.