During your time at university, you get to meet new people and come across many great opportunities. With so much choice and a hunger for new experiences, it’s easy to sign up for more than you can realistically commit to. But even as you’re pulling all-nighters to catch up on assignments, the extracurricular activities that stay with you are the ones that reflect your personality and help you grow.
You may be surprised by how much impact these choices can have on your experience at Strathclyde and what you take away from it all.
That’s what happened to Ubong Essien, a PhD student in Chemical and Process Engineering. Originally from Nigeria, he joined Strathclyde Inspire looking for like-minded people and a space outside his academic work.
His commitment to sustainability led him to take part in the Exploring Entrepreneurship Challenge (EEC), a pitching competition that encourages students to develop sustainability-centred ideas.
The demands of the competition, alongside his PhD research, nearly pushed Essien to withdraw from EEC. But with support from his close friend and fellow participant, Fidelis Usman, he realised how beneficial the experience could be and decided to stay in the competition.
Together with teammates – Natasha Chitambo, Alexandros Christou, Peter McAdoo, and Fidelis Usman – Essien developed an idea aimed at ensuring inclusive, quality education for all. Thanks to their passion and commitment, their pitch won the 2023/24 challenge, earning them £2,000.
“We were not just in this for the win,” says Essien. One of the aims of the challenge is to help students develop entrepreneurial thinking, skills that employers highly value.
For Essien, entrepreneurship is about much more than starting a business and making a profit. It’s about finding solutions to real problems, and they can be found in any industry, business, science, or even the creative sector.
Asked what he gained from taking part, Essien says it gave him “the ability to take the risk,” to step out of his comfort zone, and be proactive.
“I realised I have all the time to do everything alone, as long as I have the willpower and the mindset to do it,” he says.
You can bring entrepreneurial thinking into everything you do, whether it’s managing your time effectively or knowing when to take a break. It’s also about learning to work as a team and reaching out to people with skills and connections that can help you reach your potential and bring ideas to life.
Thanks to his participation in EEC and later joining Strathclyde Inspire as a Student Ambassador, Essien not only met people who encouraged and motivated him – he also gained confidence in public speaking and pitching.
As a result, it even reshaped his PhD experience by allowing him space to step back and reset. “Most times, you need some things that will make you put away the burdens and the mindset of research… Getting involved in entrepreneurship has always been that relief for me.”
After winning Student Ambassador of the Year for his involvement with Strathclyde Inspire, Essien was also shortlisted for PhD Student of the Year. He reflects that the nomination recognised not only his research but also the impact of his wider involvement. “All the things that I did being an ambassador for Inspire counted for it,” he says.
Take your time, look around, and find people and places that feel right for you. Everything you do, whether as part of your academic work or outside of it, will shape you.
Hi, I’m Julia Braun Raven, a second-year Journalism, Media & Creative Writing student. I’m co-Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor, and I love creating stories that matter to students, inspiring them, supporting what they’re passionate about, and celebrating their achievements. I’m especially interested in arts, culture, and student life, and I enjoy bringing energy, curiosity, and a love of storytelling to every piece I work on.
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