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The University of Southampton
Engineering

Transforming life for poor communities around the world through a student design project

Published: 31 August 2018
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Group Design Project involving final year engineering students at the University looks set to transform lives in poor rural communities around the world.

The sustainable initiative, devised by Civil and Environmental Engineering student Angus Lawrence and his team, aims to provide clean drinking water, energy from hydropower and irrigation to villages in Nigeria. The group was awarded the University’s 2018 Design Excellence and Design Engagement awards for the work and postgraduate research students will now take the idea forward.

“Our year-long project was challenging but very rewarding,” says Angus. “We focused on creating an innovative and sustainable system to produce clean drinking water and electricity with irrigation to benefit people who live in poor rural environments, with no waste. Although we set our project in Nigeria, we could replicate this on any river bed or water channel anywhere in the world.

“I am pleased that two PhD students will be carrying on the project and I hope it makes a difference to communities without the necessities of life.”

Fellow student Tomasz Ciesielski adds: “The Group Design Project was definitely the highlight of my time at Southampton, especially as we hope our plans will be implemented in real life. Through taking part, I developed my skills in team working and communications as well as time management in a worthwhile cause.”

Other team members were Peter Newsome, Timothy Brewer, Nikolas Maroudas, Shivank Kahar, Joseph Conneely and Anika Rahman. Dr Gerald Muller supervised the project and it was supported by aQysta.

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