The 2018 RIBA AHR Stephen Williams Scholarship has been awarded to Farid Abdulla, who will be beginning his Part 2 March at The Manchester School of Architecture this September.
Introduced in 2008, the AHR Scholarship provides £6,000 to support one student for a period of postgraduate studies lasting up to 12 months in the UK or abroad. AHR also ensure that one of their senior architects is available to mentor the recipient throughout the scholarship period.
On receiving the scholarship, Farid Abdulla said:
“The path of an Architecture student is long and stressful, there’s no getting away from it. Add in to the mix anything outside the archetypal student experience and you have very testing times. For many mature students taking that leap for a second time to do Part Two is a financial, logistical and emotional step too far.
What RIBA and AHR have done in awarding me the Stephen Williams Scholarship is remove many of the barriers which were preventing me continuing my educational journey towards becoming an architect. I wholeheartedly thank the panel members who chose me and applaud them for considering my entry holistically. This support is life changing and something I am very grateful for.
I want to take this opportunity to recognise teachers. A good teacher can impact a student’s life profoundly. I was blessed to have someone who guided my energy and “put up” with me. Her name is Jane Tankard, a wonderful tutor at Westminster University. Thanks Jane.”
On announcement of the 2018 recipient, AHR Director Gary Overton said:
“It is really encouraging to see such high-quality submissions each year. Through his submission and portfolio Farid demonstrated an impressive level of dedication and commitment to succeed in his ambition to be an architect. His work illustrated an interest in community and social projects executed with great skill and sensitivity. It is a real privilege to be able to award Farid with this year’s scholarship and to support him with mentoring as he completes his studies at The Manchester School of Architecture.”
RIBA President Ben Derbyshire also added:
“I am delighted that the 2018 RIBA AHR Stephen Williams Scholarship has been awarded to Farid Abdulla. As a member of the judging panel, I can attest to the high quality of applications that were received. Farid’s application was particularly strong and showed incredible potential for the next two years of study. I would like to thank AHR for offering this continued support to students of architecture each year, and I wish Farid all the best as he embarks on his Part 2 March at Manchester School of Architecture.”
This scholarship is generously funded by AHR Architects and is offered in memory of Stephen Williams, a past Director, who was incredibly committed to his profession, the education of architects, and the importance of excellent design.
This year, the RIBA AHR Stephen Williams Scholarship applications were assessed by Brian Johnson, Director and Past Chairman AHR; Gary Overton, Director AHR; RIBA President Ben Derbyshire; and Alex Scott-Whitby and Roy Khatchadourian, members of the RIBA Education Development Group.
More information about the RIBA AHR Stephen Williams Scholarship
