Alumni

Kingsley Ugwuanyi

Career Path: Lecturer, University of Nigeria
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Before starting my doctoral journey at Northumbria in 2016, I was teaching English at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Following the completion of my doctoral programme in 2021, I returned to the University of Nigeria in August 2021. However, in January 2023 I returned to the UK where I started a visiting lectureship at the Universities of Westminster and Roehampton and later a Postdoctoral Fellowship at SOAS University of London.

What are you doing now?

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at SOAS (University of London), where I am part of Horizon Europe's RISE UP Research Project (riseupproject.eu), which is investigating five endangered languages across European countries, namely Austria, Estonia, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. I am also a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Westminster.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

The expertise of my supervisory team, the availability ofresources and then the funding provided to me by Northumbria

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

I thoroughly enjoyed studying at Northumbria University. In particular, I enjoyed the sense of community shared among the doctoral students in my faculty. To date, I'm still in touch with many of them. There was also diverse upskilling and career development workshops and seminars which helped to shape my professional development.

How connected was your course with industry?

While there was no placement associated with my course, we had people from the industry come once in a while to deliver workshops.

What was the best thing about your course?

I had lecturers and supervisors who are well published and therefore understood what is required to succeed as a researcher/academic.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/ give your career an edge?

Studying at Northumbria helped me to develop into a researcher. Before Northumbria, I lacked the necessary research skills to function maximally in academia. Since coming to Northumbria, I have published over 10 academic papers in reputable and discipline-leading journals and book collections.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now throughout your career?

Research skills

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

Community among doctoral students in my faculty, and the diversity of everything

What advice would you give somebody who is considering studying at Northumbria?

It's no doubt that Northumbria has become a leading university in the UK. For instance, Northumbria was named the UK University of the Year 2022, which is a testament to its achievements and growth over the years. I had no doubt that Northumbria would be where it is today given its vision and commitment to excellence in teaching. research and professional development of its students. Given all these, I believe that Northumbria will soon rank in the Top 10 Universities in the UK. So I STRONGLY recommend Northumbria University to anybody who values excellence!