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28 Jun 2011 13:42:06
Two University of Bedfordshire graduates have netted awards worth thousands of pounds – thanks to the generosity of UK training provider Train 4 Trade Skills.
Winner Prajay Kamat and runner up Sadeque I. Shaikh received the awards at a special event held at the University’s Putteridge Bury campus on Monday, 27 June. Train 4 Trade Skills has joined forces with the University by donating £22,500 for the two awards.
The Graduate Of The Year Award (GOYA), worth £15,000, was presented to Prajay who is an alumnus of the Department of Computer Science and Technology. He was chosen as a graduate who has demonstrated the most outstanding career progression within five years of graduating from the University.
Prajay founded his company, AiSolve, with the support of the University of Bedfordshire and the company is going from strength to strength, with clients including Coca Cola and Tesco Digital. Prajay also finds time to work on introducing new technology to the digital media market.
He said: “I’m really privileged to receive this award. I plan to invest the money in the new technology my company is creating which means computers can be used to help people learn hands-on skills like plumbing. The user will learn practical skills whilst still in a virtual environment. I’m very excited that this prize money can be used to develop the skills of lots of other people.”
The runner-up Sadeque I. Shaikh received his prize of £7,500. He added: “It’s a real honour to win this prize. I hope to donate the money I’ve received to help young IT students to carry out research in their field of computing. I’m very grateful to the University and Train 4 Trade Skills for their generosity.”
Sadeque is CEO of Tempest Informatics UK Ltd as well as having lecturing responsibilities. He was also the youngest ever Executive Editor of the specialist publication Journal of the University of Science and Technology Chittagong.
The awards were judged by a panel of past winners and experts and hosted by the University’s Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon CBE. He said: “The University is delighted to host these awards and is thrilled that through Train 4 Trade Skills’ generosity our alumni are recognised for their achievements.”
A condition of the awards is that the winners donate half the prize money back to an area of support of their choosing within the University.
The GOYA was set up last year to demonstrate that study and hard work can bring rewards. Jan Telensky, local businessman and entrepreneur, who originally introduced the awards, said: “We are proud and delighted to be working with the University in identifying talent and rewarding it. But we also believe in giving back to the University which is why it is a condition of the award that winners donate to their chosen area of support.”
Latest news» 2011» June» Bedfordshire graduates net thousands
