Meet student member, Aqueel Hafeez

We’d like to introduce you to one of our student members – Aqueel Hafeez from the University of Waikato.

We’re pleased to introduce our student member Aqueel Hafeez. Aqueel is a student at the University of Waikato studying a Bachelors in Civil Engineering (honours), with electives taken in Construction Technology, Geotechnical and Water Engineering.

Aqueel is motivated to complete his studies and is driven on becoming a chartered engineer in New Zealand. Aqueel aims to bring innovative and productive solutions to the construction industry and work on large-scale projects in Aotearoa which would help bring this countries projected infrastructure growth to a new Utopia.

What do you like best about your engineering studies?

What I find interesting about my degree is the critical thinking aspect alongside the problem solving mindset that comes with it. I will be eligible to work on any type of infrastructure in the world, be it from massive transport structures to buildings. The diverse range of knowledge that I get from my degree can be applied in any sector within the civil engineering industry.

What do you like best about the engineering industry?

I love how we as engineers have to think outside the box on multiple occasions and how diverse problems may rise and we need to design mitigations for it. This encourages us to step out of our comfort zones and network with people from other disciplines to come down to a single solution for the problem at hand.

What development opportunities are you seeking?

I am seeking to work on various ranges of projects to increase the strength of my project portfolio and gain as much experience as possible to become a mentor for upcoming engineers down the line.

What are your hobbies and pass-times?

During my free-time I pursue my childhood passion of participating in football, powerlifting and boxing. I also sped majority of my time working on cars and doing my own research on how to service and change different components in cars for my family and self. Apart from physical activities, I love to research on new technological advances in the world and love quenching my thirst for my non-endless curiosity for things with the help of research.

What do you associate with heavy engineering and metals-based engineering?

These have the highest ranking of importance as it shapes the nations infrastructure from manufacturing of industrial components and machinery, to structural elements in the construction sector. With the undertaken research into the reduction of emissions during manufacturing of heavy engineering components, it shows the rapid development in systems around the world.

What do you think about HERA?

I find it unique how HERA organises awards every few years as this encourages industry to perform and excel in their respective genres in engineering, and to put out quality service and products. One of the fundamental reasons behind studying engineering is to be able to bring in productive and innovative solutions independently.

To connect with Aqueel, you can visit here: LinkedIn