Undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fire safety engineering

The University of Central Lancashire in Preston (UCLan) has developed a leading position in the UK and overseas for the delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fire safety engineering.

Sultan Salem Al Maskri graduated from UCLan in 2006 with a BEng (Hons) in Fire Engineering and went on to study the MSc Fire Safety Engineering. He now works as a Senior Fire Engineer at Exova Warrington Fire Consulting ME, based in Abu Dhabi.

We asked him about his typical day: “The work is varied and interesting and can include - meeting with clients or authorities, developing and reviewing Fire Strategy reports, reviewing fire system designs, reviewing fire drawings, site visits with contractors and co-ordinating a range of different disciplines to achieve the best solutions”.

What was the biggest learning curve? “I realised after undertaking the fire engineering solutions module at UCLan that this was what I wanted to do!”

What Sultan likes about the job: “The work is always on the edge of new technologies and theories. I enjoy meeting new people and helping consultants and contractors solve difficult problems.”

What is his top tip for students wanting to work in the industry? “It’s simple - read and keep up to date!”

How well did UCLan prepare Sultan for his career? “Very well! At UCLan, you learn a bit of everything – from fire engineering to fire protection and fire dynamics and from zone modelling to CFD modelling. This allowed me to develop a more holistic approach to fire engineering, which in turn makes the clients happy!”

All the courses offered at UCLan have been successfully developed in effective collaboration with appropriate employers and professional bodies, such as the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Energy Institute, and they are taught by leading academics and safety professionals. The courses are supported by research from the Centre for Research in Fire and Hazard Science, which provides expertise in the following fields:

• Combustion, Explosions and Fire Safety Engineering
• Hazards, Disasters and Emergencies
• Fire and Sustainability
• Fire Chemistry and related processes.

The Research Centre also offers supervision and support for those who wish to undertake a research degree (MSc by Research, MPhil/PhD) in fire related topics.

For further information about the courses and research on offer, visit www.uclan.ac.uk/fire, email cenquiries@uclan.ac.uk or call +44 (0) 1772 892400