Dr Mehdi Nazarinia BSc MSc PhD AMIMechE

Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering – Fluid Mechanics/Energy, Heriot Watt University Dubai.

I was inspired to volunteer as an ALO as I always took great pride in increasing student profiles by linking them to industry and providing them with further opportunities to explore the world of mechanical engineering and beyond.

After looking into student chapters and liaising with the international team at the Institution, I realised this would help me to access to the opportunities of becoming an ALO. Furthermore, I always wanted to establish a closer relationship with institutions such as the IMechE and becoming an ALO enabled me to do this.

It is was a really easy process to get involved and become an ALO. I had to ensure I had at least 50 student members and then simply filled out a form and submitted it to the Institution’s HQ.
Being an ALO enables me to keep my students up to date with all the news and services available to them from the Institution and makes me their first point of call for all Institution-based queries. I was not expecting to develop management and presentation skills whilst in this role, but they are tremendous skills that will serve me well in my career. There are also great networking opportunities with both industry and academia which raises my professional profile and in turn my CV and career prospects.

My recommendation to those considering this opportunity is that being ALO does not really take up much of your time and the benefits are well worth the initial effort you put in.

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