International Buddies
This scheme is available to our new international colleagues who are relocating to the UK.
You can get in touch with someone who has already made the move to the UK and can provide you with support, based on their own experiences.
If you are interested in getting in touch with a buddy, please look at the profiles below and once you have decided who you would like to connect with, please contact them directly using the email address within their profile.
You can contact our buddies prior to arriving in the UK.
The main focus of the scheme is to provide an informal point of reference. Buddies are not advisors or counsellors and they cannot provide you with advice relating to visa eligibility, visa applications or guidance which would be construed as legal advice.
Dr Gabriel Sadi
Senior Lecturer, Department of Management, Huddersfield Business School
Dr Lilies Kathumbi
Research Assistant in Clean Energy Technologies, School of Computing & Engineering
Dr Min-Chien Tsai
Research Manager (UNESCO Chair - Global Health & Education), School of Applied Sciences
Dr Nicola Chieffo
Lecturer in Civil Engineering, School of Computing & Engineering
Dr Rami Kerrouche
Research Fellow in Vibration Fault Diagnosis for Machinery and Healthcare, School of Computing & Engineering
Rizwan Shaik
Rail Freight Engineer (KTP Associate), Institute of Railway Research, School of Computing & Engineering
Suraj Nair
User Experience Officer, Marketing Communications and Student Recruitment
Venkat Reddy Kandregula
Early-Stage Researcher, School of Computing & Engineering
A little bit about me
I am currently teaching in the optometry program to third years (contact lenses), and practical skills. I enjoy being a tourist in my new country, taking photos and watching series. I have two small kids who keep me busy! My family moved in November 2020 to the UK on a skilled work visa. I worked in Higher Education at a different university in South Africa before moving here.
My home country:
South Africa
Where I relocated from:
South Africa
Other countries I have lived in:
Trinidad and Tobagao
My contact details:
Email me at l.s.coetzee@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
Greetings! My name is Venkat, and I have been working as an Early-Stage Researcher for the European Project, Horizon 2020, at the University of Huddersfield since 2022. Our team's focus under this project is the development of antennas for beyond 5G applications.
I was raised in Visakhapatnam, India and obtained my B. Tech. in Telecommunications from Vishnu Institute of Technology, India. Later, I pursued my M. Tech. in Microwave Engineering from Andhra University, India. After completing my studies, I moved to Hyderabad for a Research Fellow position at DRDO, India. I relocated to Goa and served as a Senior RF Engineer at CommScope, India.
I love spending time with my loved ones. If you are planning to move to the UK for work or studies, please do not hesitate to contact me for any relocation assistance. I am fluent in English, Hindi, and Telugu.
My home country:
India
Where I relocated from:
Visakhapatnam, India
Other countries I have lived in:
Denmark
My contact details:
Email me at v.r.kandregula@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
I am a Senior Lecturer focused on the field of strategic communication/public relations. I moved to the UK a couple of months before the Covid pandemic, so my adaptation process was understandably difficult. All my education, including my PhD, was in Argentina, so I can give advice on my experience working in a new and very different higher education system (and country as well), from a Latin American perspective!
My home country:
Argentina
Where I relocated from:
Argentina
Other countries I have lived in:
Uruguay
My contact details:
Email me at g.sadi@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
I am working as a Rail Freight Engineer at the Institute of Railway Research. My field of work constitutes with understanding the underlying principles of identifying parameters affecting the performances of freight trains on the UK network.
I enjoy travelling and walking and occasionally cooking Asian food.
I was working in railways back in Finland. I found an opportunity with similar interests in the field that I am passionate about. Thanks to my supervisors and continuous support from the HR team, the transition from Finland to the UK has been very smooth.
My home country:
India
Where I relocated from:
Finland
Other countries I have lived in:
Italy
My contact details:
Email me at m.r.shaik@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
Hi everyone, I'm Suraj Nair and I work as the User Experience Officer here at the University.
Beyond work, I enjoy traveling to new places and exploring different cuisines. Personally, relocating to the UK has been an exciting new experience for me. I love the picturesque historic buildings and weather here. It's been great getting to know the country so far, and I look forward to continuing to explore more of the UK.
My home country:
India
Where I relocated from:
Bengaluru
My contact details:
Email me at s.s.nair@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
My intention was to make music my career, and I set about this goal in earnest over a period of almost twenty years. I put together bands, composed and produced several albums and videos, toured, and pursued various means of promotion. My music garnered copious international press praise, including a feature in the UK's Classic Rock magazine. My songs have been used on popular TV shows including Friday Night Lights, Queer Eye, and One Life to Live. I've also done a bit of film scoring.
Nevertheless, all these efforts didn't add up to a lucrative or sustainable career track for me, so I pursued my "plan B" as a film and media studies professor/scholar instead. I've published two books so far, one on landscape in cinema and the other on the seminal American TV show The Twilight Zone. I've taught in universities and classrooms around the globe, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the USA. I'm at Huddersfield now on a Marie Curie fellowship to work on my third book "Crime-Jazz Diasporas: African American Music in Overseas Cinema."
The process of obtaining a Global Talent visa for myself and my family proved extremely challenging, and we ran into a steady stream of subsequent difficulties as soon as we landed in the summer of 2023. I am happy to share the wisdom accrued from ‘learning lessons the hard way’ as has been mostly my experience so far. Please feel free to get in touch!
My home country:
USA
Where I relocated from:
Arizona, USA
Other countries I have lived in:
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia
My contact details:
Email me at D.Melbye@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
Hello! My name is Bingyan Chen, from China. I am currently a Research Fellow at the Centre for Efficiency and Performance Engineering in the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddersfield. My research interests include dynamics modelling, non-stationary signal processing, machine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis techniques.
From September 2019 to September 2023, I pursued my PhD degree at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China. From November 2021 to November 2022, funded by the China Scholarship Council, I conducted research as a visiting researcher at the Centre for Efficiency and Performance Engineering in the School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield. In November 2023 I was offered a Research Fellow position at the University of Huddersfield and came to the UK again.
I would be willing to share some of my above experiences if needed. Please feel free to contact me.
My home country:
China
Where I relocated from:
Chengdu, China
My contact details:
Email me at b.chen@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
I am a Lecturer in the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddersfield. My personal interests are watching movies and playing Tennis.
Before coming to the UK, I worked as a Senior Lecturer for 9 years at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), which is located in the state of Sabah in Malaysia.
My home country:
Iran
Where I relocated from:
Malaysia
My contact details:
Email me at a.farzamnia@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
I am the Research Manager for the UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education, and my main research interest is occupational health and healthy ageing at work.
Coming to work in the UK in 2024 was also a great challenge and adventure for me and although I don't know much about it, I would be happy to provide some basic information (e.g., Airbnb, renting a flat).
Where I relocated from:
Taipei
My contact details:
Email me at m.tsai@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
Hello, I'm Rami, and I currently hold the position of Research Fellow at the School of Computing and Engineering at the University of Huddersfield. In this role, I am deeply involved in pioneering research aimed at developing advanced condition monitoring technologies, specifically through the application of vibration analysis. My work primarily focuses on improving the reliability and efficiency of rotating machinery.
My journey to the UK has been an integral part of my personal and professional growth. Moving here allowed me to immerse myself in a vibrant research community and collaborate with leading experts in my field.
My home country:
Algeria
Where I relocated from:
Algeria
Other countries I have lived in:
Canada
My contact details:
Email me at r.kerrouche@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
Hello everyone, my name is Thierno, and I currently work as a Research Assistant at the University.
Beyond work, I enjoy culture (literature, novels, poetry, photography) and sports, particularly football. Moving to the UK has been a wonderful adventure for me. I especially appreciate the people I've met and the town's architecture.
My home country:
Senegal
Where I relocated from:
Dakar
Other countries I have lived in:
France
My contact details:
Email me at T.B.Sy@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
Hello, I'm Lilies, a Research Assistant in Clean Energy Technologies at the School of Computing and Engineering. My work focuses on developing biofuels and low-carbon fuels from waste, contributing to sustainable energy solutions.
Outside of work, I enjoy traveling and exploring new cultures.
Relocating to the UK was an exciting journey, and this platform made it smooth by connecting me with a buddy who guided me through the apartment rental process and requirements. I know how challenging relocation can be, and I'm happy to offer help and advice to anyone in need.
My home country:
Kenya
Where I relocated from:
Kenya
Other countries I have lived in:
Algeria and Germany
My contact details:
Email me at l.kathumbi@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
For the most part, I’ve enjoyed moving to the UK. The cultural differences are fun to experience. I’ve found much of the bureaucracy to be frustrating for example opening a bank account and securing lodging was stressful. I can provide recommendations for what finally worked for me regarding a mobile phone plan and bank account, and I can also recommend some private landlords who helped me secure lodging.
My home country:
Canada
Where I relocated from:
Montreal, QC
Other countries I have lived in:
I have only lived in Canada, although I moved from an English to a French speaking province.
My contact details:
Email me at E.Smialek@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
My name is Nicola Chieffo, and I am a Lecturer in Civil Engineering at the University of Huddersfield. My role involves teaching, researching, and supervising students, with a focus on structural engineering and risk mitigation strategies for existing buildings. I am passionate about education, sustainable development, and fostering international collaborations. Originally from Italy, I have pursued academic and professional experiences in Naples and Portugal before moving to the UK, where I am now dedicated to contributing to the field of Civil Engineering through teaching and research.
My home country:
Italy
Where I relocated from:
Italy
Other countries I have lived in:
Portugal
My contact details:
Email me at n.chieffo@hud.ac.uk
A little bit about me
As a Research Fellow, I have several tasks to do. I am the lead researcher of my research project and the project is on health monitoring of complex engineering structures. Apart from that, I am also involved in guiding a few PhD students at present. Therefore, discussing and tracking the research progress of the PhD students is an integral part of my work. I am also occasionally involved in assisting students during the EnABLE Lab Sessions at the University.
I like travelling and exploring new places. I play table tennis however, I also like other sports and activities such as football, lawn tennis, swimming, chess etc. I am an avid listener of music.
My journey to the UK has been a wonderful journey. I always wanted to come to the UK because I heard about the high-end research facilities and a supportive research environment here. I like to explore new things and develop new techniques in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM). I was in France, doing my first postdoctoral research on bridge health monitoring. I wanted to explore health monitoring of other complex engineering structures. That is what I found here. Apart from work and work environment, I also like the landscape and a multi-cultural atmosphere here. There are challenges in my work, but hopefully those will be overcome, leading to interesting research outcomes.
My home country:
India
Where I relocated from:
India
Other countries I have lived in:
France
My contact details:
Email me at d.mandal@hud.ac.uk