International Graduate Story: Adolphus

Posted on: 22 May 2023 by Aditi Gupta in Graduate stories

Adolphus Lye, an international graduate who pursued a PhD degree at the University of Liverpool, talks more about their PhD journey and moving back to their home country to start their graduate career.

In this blog post, Adolphus offers advice on how to deal with challenges associated with being an international student and gets candid on the subject of facing reverse culture shock after returning back to one’s home country.

What did you study at the University of Liverpool and when did you graduate?

I pursued Risk and Uncertainty Quantification in Engineering (PhD) and I graduated in the year 2023.

Who is your current employer?

My current employer is Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiatives, National University of Singapore.

What is your current role and what are some of your key responsibilities in this role?

I am currently a Research Fellow where my primary role is to look into the area of Probabilistic Safety Assessment of Nuclear reactors. Research aside, I would also be involved in public outreach where we communicate concepts on Nuclear safety to the general public.

How did you find out about this opportunity?

Back in 2018 when I was completing my final year undergraduate project, I was not entirely sure on what I intended to do next after graduation as I had numerous options available. In the final semester of my undergraduate degree, my project supervisor suggested that I apply for the Postgraduate Study Award provided by the Singapore National Research Foundation to pursue a PhD programme.

As pursuing a PhD was not initially a part of my plan, this was quite unexpected. In retrospect, it was one of the most interesting and rewarding decision that I ever made. The acceptance of the Study Award allowed the opportunity for me to work in the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative, upon the completion of my postgraduate study, which is how I found my current role. 

What was the application process like for the role and how did you prepare for it?

The process of applying for a PhD programme involved an application for the PhD programme, an application for the Postgraduate Study Award and the Study Award Interview. As I had prior research experience working as a research assistant, I had a clear idea of the research area I was interested in: Machine-learning, Statistics and Probability, Risk Assessment, and Nuclear Engineering.

However, it was challenging to look for a suitable supervisor and a university which had all the necessary resources needed for my research. I was also required to write a research proposal which I has never done before. Thankfully, after conducting some research on FindAPhD.com, I was able to produce a suitable PhD research proposal. Looking through my options, I learnt that the PhD programme is hosted by the Institute for Risk and Uncertainty which investigates all the above research interests I listed.

I then contacted my primary supervisor and sent them my CV. This was followed by an application on Liverpool Life. One of those rare occasions when the stars just aligned! The study award application was quite stressful as it was done at the very last minute. It was also a tedious and arduous experience to compile all the necessary documents such as my transcripts, certificates, and reference letters which are required to proceed to the interview stage.

In preparation of the study award interview, I watched numerous videos and tried to understand what makes a good (and honest) interview response. In addition, I had to do my research on the University of Liverpool and my PhD programme as I had to be very clear on why I decided to pursue my studies in UoL, what can I expect to learn from my PhD study, and how can I contribute towards the research efforts in the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative upon my return from my studies abroad. Furthermore, I arranged time with my peers to do mock-interviews leading up to the actual interview itself.

How do you feel your degree programme at the University of Liverpool prepared you for your current job?

The PhD research experience made me more independent with my own learning and research plans as it was no longer like the Undergraduate days where there is some degree of handholding. In such setting, one needs to take more accountability for his or herself in the research progress.

In addition, through the numerous collaborations which we had between the fellow researchers in the discipline, it has not only taught me the importance of being a team-player, but also learning to take a step back, see the bigger picture, and make compromises. An important thing to be aware of is that things can and will never always go the way you envisioned, especially in a team setting where it is not just about the individual, but the collective interests of the team members towards achieving a common goal.

Furthermore, the pandemic has made me appreciate the understand the value of mental tenacity. Recalling the “lockdown years” occurring not too long ago, it was very tempting to just call it quits given how demoralising the situation was and how lonely the whole experience felt – even more so as an international student living alone with no family or dependency within the UK.

However, the moral encouragement from my peers reminded me why I pursued this to begin, my goals that I wish to achieve in this journey, and most importantly, this unique opportunity I had to pursue a postgraduate study which is very hard to come by. These provided the inspiration and re-emphasised the want to complete this journey no matter what gets in the way. Friends are indeed important! The values of diligence, discipline, pro-activeness, and tenacity are those which helped lay the foundation and prepared us for the role we are currently undertaking.

What was the most rewarding aspect about your academic programme at the University of Liverpool? 

Meeting friends and establish connections! It cannot be understated how lucky we are to exist in the era of globalisation, where we get to experience what it is like to have the whole world coming together in one place. Through the University Cross Country Team, Vine Court Halls of Residence (where I lived for 4 years), and the Institute for Risk and Uncertainty, I had the opportunity to meet people of different nationality, race, and religion and appreciated the different culture, way of life, and traditions we practiced. It is truly a melting pot and I have learnt so much through hearing stories from my peers across diverse backgrounds.

As Mikel Arteta said once: “What is more important: The journey, or the destination? Neither the journey nor the destination, it is the company!” (Yes, I am an Arsenal fan!). On this note, I would like to use this platform to say Thank you to all of you, whom I am so privileged to have met throughout my years at the University of Liverpool, for making my journey in Liverpool an enriching and invaluable one.

What has your experience been like from living and studying in the UK to moving back to your home country? 

A hard one this one. To be frank, it was anything but easy. I remembered crying buckets on my very last day in Liverpool, knowing that things will never be as good as it has been the last 4 years and that it will never be the same again without everyone. There was an element of fear and uncertainty that came with the feeling of immense sorrow.

On the other hand, I looked forward as well to being re-united with my family members and friends in Singapore after being away for 4 years. It was definitely a mixed feeling to say the least. I just cannot find an appropriate word or words to describe how I felt on the day I moved back to Singapore. At the time of writing, it has been about 4.5 months since my return to Singapore and I am still trying to re-adjust to the way of life there as a victim of the reverse culture shock. Slowly but surely, we are adapting. The most important reminder to myself at this point is to take the all the time needed and trust the process. There is no rush.

What are some of your top tips for current international students/graduates who might be considering to move back to their home country?

Stay in touch with your peers whom you have met in Liverpool and do try to keep such connections alive. It takes effort, but it can be done especially in today’s day and age when we have social media platforms, Zoom, Skype, etc. These friendships come with many wonderful memories which will be worth talking about in the years ahead, especially with the nostalgia factor coming into the picture. Who better to talk about such memories than with the people who are a part of it?

How have you found the transition from studying to working?  

Anything but easy for sure as it is so different from the student life. There are definitely more responsibilities to shoulder and the need to learn quickly on the job. Thankfully, I have a team of wonderful colleagues who helped me settle down relatively quick since my first day at work and took me through the things I needed to be aware of. This helped me assimilate into the work culture without much delay.

How has this opportunity benefited you from an employability perspective?

One of the areas of research that Singapore is keen on is Nuclear energy and the safety assessment. Through this study abroad experience, I had the opportunity to meet researchers who are looking into Nuclear safety and Risk assessment, collaborate with them, and learn from them the knowledge on the subject. This helped facilitate my critical thinking towards the topic which my employers at the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative are looking out for.