Challenging road from Iran to UTAS engineering graduate

The demands of studying a post-graduate engineering degree were exacerbated by a language barrier for one University of Tasmania graduate. SEE THE GALLERIES

Mehrnoosh Hosseini has worked through a long road of study and challenges to earn an engineering degree. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

DETERMINATION and drive are characteristics shared by many university graduates — but Mehrnoosh Hosseini’s achievement required an extra dose of grit.

The 29-year-old moved from Iran to Tasmania last year to further her studies in engineering at the University of Tasmania.

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On top of the academic demands of a masters degree in professional engineering, the young woman faced the constant stress posed by a language barrier.

“The language was the biggest challenge for me,” she said.

The academic and technical language was particularly difficult, and required Ms Hosseini to slave over her subjects during her first year.

“The hardest was semester one,” she said.

“I would study every day, at nights and on weekends.”

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Long after other students had gone home, Ms Hosseini would remain in the Engineering Building well into the night to grasp new concepts and technical words. “Sometimes I wouldn’t leave until 2 or 3 in the morning,” she said.

Ms Hosseini studied English for six months before moving to Tasmania so she could pass the International English Language Testing System Exam, which is an English language proficiency test for students.

But she had received only basic English at school in Iran and had never before been immersed in the language.

“Without working hard I couldn’t have achieved this,” she said.

Her masters, which specialises in civil and structural engineering, follows her completion of a bachelor of chemical engineering in Iran about five years ago.

Ms Hosseini’s perseverance during her two-year masters paid off, and she has won a scholarship to undertake vocational work with engineering firm GHD. She hopes to keep working in Tasmania and will apply for permanent residency.

“Everyone here has been so supportive — my university supervisors and the people in my workplace have been amazing,” she said.

Ms Hosseini is one of 2500 University of Tasmania students who took part in graduation ceremonies in Hobart this week. The ceremonies began on Tuesday and wrapped up on Thursday.

Adrian Bradbury’s honours project was inspired by his track work on kunanyi/Mt Wellington. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Another graduate, Adrian Bradbury, completed his bachelor of fine arts honours after returning to study as a mature-age student.

Mr Bradbury had previously been a track worker on kunanyi/Mt Wellington and drew on the experience for the paintings he produced as part of his study.

“My art project was based on the Lost World Track on kunanyi,” he said.

He said he painted abstract works which celebrated the track’s boulders and sign posts.