Newcastle University student wins Amazon bursary

The award could provide a support package of up to £20,000


Farheen Mehmood is one of 31 women across the UK to recieve a bursary from The Royal Academy of Engineering and Amazon to study computer science and other engineering courses.

The bursary aims to help address underrepresentation and encourage women to apply for computer science based courses at university.

The support package could provide up to £20,000 and has been granted to women from low-income backgrounds progressing from A Level, or technical education courses to higher education.

Farheen moved to Newcastle from Pakistan at the age of six and discovered her passion for computer science quickly.

“I’ve been in love with the subject ever since I discovered it. Computing sucked me in like a black hole,” she said.

At school, Farheen had her first taste of computing through Scratch and then studied computer science at GCSE and A-Level.

“I found it fascinating that I could make something of true value and meaning that could help so many people in the world, all while sitting in my living room.”

Alongside the financial support, successful candidates are matched with an industry mentor, and provided with training and networking opportunities. During their time on the programme, awardees can expect to collaborate with like-minded peers, as well as meeting leading engineers, who’ll inspire them to think big and make their voices heard in their chosen fields.

Award recipients will receive a financial support package worth £5,000 per year for up to four years of study to cover expenses related to attending university, including tuition fees or accommodation and living costs.

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