Winner's profile

Built Environment

Suyanto Mahdiputra Northumbria University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sean McMahon (left) from My Choice London presenting Suyanto (right) with his award

Suyanto Mahdiputra won this year’s Xcel Built Environment Student of the Year Award. Suyanto won the award for his outstanding academic achievements whilst studying for his PhD at Northumbria University.

Suyanto is originally from Indonesia but came to the UK to pursue an MSc in Environmental Project Management. “Suyanto came to Northumbria University as an MSc student and it was the first time he had been to Britain and he seemed very lost,” explained his tutor, Professor Bob Giddings. However, Suyanto soon settled into university life and showed great potential in his field of study.

In 2005, Suyanto was awarded the RICS prize for best paper at the 5th International Postgraduate Research Conference at the University of Salford. Building on this success, Suyanto went on to pass his PhD at category A with no amendments needed on his paper. This is an extremely rare occurrence as Professor Bob Giddings explains; “Suyanto produced an extremely good PhD. I’ve supervised and examined a few PhDs and I’ve never known one that’s gone through an examination without any corrections, any typos, nothing, just a straight pass. Our university says they’re lucky if they get one a year. So he really does deserve this award.”

I am very lucky. It’s great that somebody else sees what I have done and that it’s a good thing to do.

This is an incredible achievement for any student, but for Suyanto, the accomplishment is even greater. In the middle of his PhD, the Boxing Day tsunami hit and devastated his homeland. At this time, Suyanto was president of the UK Indonesian Students Association and was responsible for ensuring that the organization properly represented the interests of all Indonesian students in Britain. In the aftermath of the tsunami, Suyanto was heavily involved in helping students who were far from home and dedicated much of his time to coming to London for meetings. Suyanto was even consulted by the Indonesian Government and went on some fact-finding missions for them.

Suyanto showed great commitment to his community whilst completing an impeccable PhD. It is Suyanto’s talent together with his steadfast determination that makes him an award-winner.

On his family’s reaction to winning the award, Suyanto said: “They were very happy and delighted. They wonder what I am doing, as I am far away from them, they think I am doing something very big and very good but I just do my best and it’s nice that somebody appreciates what I have done.” Despite his achievements, Suyanto remains modest, “I am very lucky. It’s great that somebody else sees what I have done and that it’s a good thing to do.”

Congratulations Suyanto!

 

Interview by: Emily Crane