Angela Ruiz Garzon - PhD in School of Materials

Academic history: Eng. in Chemical Engineering, University of Granada, Spain.

I was attracted by the reputation of the centre, not only in UK, but internationally. It was a big personal challenge, both to prove I am capable of undertaking successful research in a designated topic, and to live up to the standards of the centre.

Initially, I decided to pursue my PhD studies in a big city in the UK, and I chose The University of Manchester over the rest due to Manchester's tradition of having the biggest student community. I thought I could enjoy my time in the city and learn at the same time.

At the moment I am learning a lot, not only about the topic I am working on (I study the mechanism of protection of a zirconium and titanium-based primer coating on two different commercial aluminium alloys) but also in related disciplines, eg polymer chemistry. The atmosphere in the centre, where people with very different cultural backgrounds and nationalities work together, is greatly satisfying.

The Corrosion and Protection Centre gives access to the most advanced analytical techniques, and most of these facilities can be found inside the department.

The academic staff in the centre are always willing to sit down and discuss anything, and that kind of help is priceless. The group of technicians always do their best to help and to teach us how to use different technical devices.

I have attended to several graduate courses during my first year that helped me with the academic writing or presentation skills. During this year, I feel I have learnt to be independent in my research and to work effectively in groups at the same time. Also, my communication skills have greatly improved.

My project is sponsored by Henkel KGaA (Düsseldorf), and this includes continuous interaction with the company throughout the three years. A meeting is held every six months when I have to present the work undertaken.

The fact that I am doing this course at one of the best centres for corrosion protection in the world, with an industrial collaboration, makes me feel confident when I think about job-hunting in the corrosion and protection field.

Furthermore, if I want to work in Spain, the main advantages of my studies will be the skills gained in the English language, as well as the prestige of doing PhD in one of the best UK universities.