Alp Arslan is the 2024 recipient of the Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship. The funding has enabled him to begin his PhD in Biomedical Engineering, through which he will investigate the benefits of a wearable monitoring system to provide an alternative solution to male infertility treatment.
After initially coming to Kent from Turkey in 2019 for his undergraduate degree, Alp has found a home and a like-minded community within the Engineering department. ‘I’ve always wanted to conduct PhD research, and having fallen in love with Kent during my previous studies, it was clear that this is where I’m meant to be’.
Following his graduation in 2022, he spent two years working as a Technician in the department as he attempted to secure a scholarship to continue his studies. The team continued to provide him with ‘excellent support and guidance’ and it was them he was able to celebrate with when he received the news that his application had been successful:
‘Finding out that I would receive the scholarship is a very special memory. I literally screamed out loud when the email came through – I’m sure people must have heard me from outside the Jennison building. I was just filled with so much joy, I really couldn’t believe it!
‘The scholarship has truly changed my life and I’m so grateful to all the donors who have enabled me to work towards my dream. It is because of your financial support that I can excel and thrive in my work and I hope I can repay your generosity by showcasing the groundbreaking research being carried out at Kent’.
He praises, in particular, Dr Viktorija Makarovaite – his doctoral supervisor. ‘[She] is one of the main reasons I wanted to continue my studies at Kent’. For a postgraduate student, this academic support is fundamental to the quality of their research and Alp maintains that he is incredibly fortunate to be working ‘with the best possible supervisor’.
In the future he hopes to work with the NHS to provide an improved service to patients suffering from the condition by incorporating the monitoring device he’s designing into their treatment plans. Firstly though, he’s looking forward to finessing his research and working towards adding the title ‘Dr’ to his name. ‘[At my undergraduate graduation] I remember thinking that one day I would walk across the stage in Canterbury Cathedral wearing the red PhD gown – and this is the beginning of the journey that will enable me to do just that!’.
Thank you to all our generous donors who continue to support the Alumni Postgraduate Scholarship. If you wish to fund future beneficiaries you can give a gift online. For any further questions, please contact giving@kent.ac.uk.