The Alasdair Sinclair Scholarship

The invaluable innovations that come from future generations will change the world, which is why Orbia provides the tools for young people to learn through the Alasdair Sinclair Scholarship at The University of Manchester.

Who is Alasdair Sinclair?

Alasdair Sinclair was a Senior Mechanical Engineer and an integral part of the Orbia team for more than 27 years. His sudden passing in December 2015 had a huge impact on his colleagues, who have worked closely with his family to develop the scholarship in his honour.

Alasdair Sinclair Scholarship

The Alasdair Sinclair Scholarship was set up in 2017 to support mechanical engineering students during their studies. Students from underprivileged backgrounds are selected based on academic merit. The funds can be used however the recipient sees fit.

Not only does the scholarship offer £2,250 per academic year to aid students in purchasing vital study materials, travel and covering living costs, but it also provides a summer placement to allow students to gain real-life experience in their field of study.

Workplace experience

The placement at Orbia’s Runcorn plant allows students to gain an understanding of mechanical processes that go into the company’s innovative products.

The placement covers a vast range of hands-on experience in operations and manufacturing, as students are treated as part of the team. They learn how machines and plant protocol runs smoothly, meeting the team that worked with the scholarship’s namesake.

The experience prepares them for the world of work following their studies, it will also place them as frontrunners for vacancies with Orbia following completion of their studies.

The students

Students Sikandar Zaheer Rana and Hashim Hamid, both undertaking the MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering course, are very grateful for the opportunities that the scholarship has offered to them.

The first-ever recipient of the scholarship, Sikandar, said: “The scholarship has really helped my university life. I am very grateful to Orbia for the scholarship and for the summer work placement. I would love to get involved with Orbia in the future and learn more about the industry, as well as the problems faced in the industry and how to tackle them.”

Hashim, who has just completed his first year of study, said: “Coming from a low-income household, my scholarship has provided me with financial security as my spending is completely independent of my parents, allowing me to dedicate my time to my university studies.”

If you’d like to know more about the Alasdair Sinclair Scholarship, please visit the scholarship area of The University of Manchester website.