Year in Industry scheme opens up new possibilities

Lloyd Mushambadzi from Zimbabwe did his homework before deciding to study for his undergraduate degree in England. “I researched on the Internet and knew this was the best country to study in because of the quality of the research. I knew I would have better prospects if I had a degree from the UK,” he says. “Then I started to look at universities and thought Southampton was a good university to choose.”

Yet, arriving in the chilly UK in 2006 to start his BSc in Biomedical Sciences at the School of Biological Sciences was a bit of a culture shock. “Much was new to me, the way you write essays at Southampton was different and I had to work hard to do well. But people were friendly and there was plenty to do. I played football in my first year, tried out Latin and ballroom dancing and joined the African Caribbean Christian Fellowship.”

The pace of work picked up during his second year and socialising took a back seat. His undergraduate dissertation focused on investigating proteins that may be involved in the immune systems of shellfish.

As part of his degree, Lloyd took part in the Year in Industry scheme, working for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer in Kent. “I enjoyed this opportunity to work for a company and it has inspired me to consider a career in industry.”

While with Pfizer, he was assigned to Regulatory Affairs in the submissions group dealing with a range of issues around drug development from clinical trials to marketing: “It was very interesting and I had lots to learn,” he says. “The training was excellent and I developed a good knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. The experience I gained will be very useful for me in the future.”

Lloyd is now considering staying on at Southampton to study for a PhD.