Over the past four years, it has been a privilege to serve as the Education and Student Liaison Lead for CIBSE UAE and, more recently, CIBSE MENA. What began as an opportunity to engage with students has developed into a journey of building connections, creating opportunities and strengthening the bridge between academia and the building services industry.

Bridging the Gap Between the Classroom and the Real World

At the heart of this journey has been one simple objective: connecting students with industry and helping them understand how the knowledge they gain in the classroom is applied in the real world.

Students bring energy, creativity and fresh perspectives to our industry. Alongside their academic education, they need meaningful exposure to the profession - to understand how engineering principles are applied to live projects, how decisions are made and how collaboration across the industry shapes the built environment.

Through CIBSE, we have worked closely with universities and students through mentorship, technical seminars, site visits, networking opportunities, student competitions and direct interaction with experienced industry professionals.

From the Classroom to the Construction Site

The transition from university to professional life can be both exciting and challenging. Academic education provides the essential technical foundation, but interaction with experienced professionals provides something equally valuable: perspective.

A conversation with a consultant, a visit to a live project, a technical seminar with an industry specialist or simply the opportunity to ask an experienced engineer a question can have a lasting impact on a young professional.

This is why our educational outreach has focused on creating meaningful interaction between students and the wider building services community. We believe that education and industry should not operate in separate worlds, they should continuously learn from one another.

CIBSE Student Design Competition: Turning Ideas into Solutions

One of the highlights of our journey has been the continued growth of the CIBSE Student Design Competition. The competition gives students an opportunity to step beyond theoretical learning and tackle real-world building services engineering challenges. It encourages creativity, technical thinking, innovation and sustainable design.

Every year, we have witnessed growing participation and enthusiasm from students. This growth is particularly encouraging because it demonstrates that young engineers are not simply preparing to enter the industry, they are already thinking about how they can change and improve it.

From CIBSE UAE to CIBSE MENA

Another important milestone has been the transformation of CIBSE UAE into CIBSE MENA. The expansion of the CIBSE Student Design Competition from the UAE to the wider MENA region is an equally significant development.

It reflects a broader vision: to create stronger connections between students, academics and industry professionals across the Middle East and North Africa. Energy efficiency, decarbonisation, intelligent buildings, climate resilience and sustainable development are shared regional priorities.

By bringing students and professionals together across the MENA region, we can encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration and innovation on a much larger scale.

Looking Beyond MENA

Our ambitions extend further. Looking ahead, we aspire to take our educational outreach into the Indian Subcontinent, creating additional opportunities for students and young engineers to connect with the wider CIBSE professional network.

The building services profession is increasingly global. Engineers today have the opportunity to work across markets, collaborate across cultures and contribute to projects around the world.

A Message to Every Student

To every student considering a career in building services engineering, I would say this: Start building your professional journey today, not after graduation.

Ask questions. Attend technical seminars. Visit projects. Speak to experienced engineers. Find mentors. Participate in competitions. Build your professional network. And most importantly, stay curious.

The most successful engineers will not necessarily be those who simply know the most. They will be those who continue to learn, adapt, question conventional thinking and understand how technology, sustainability and human needs are shaping our built environment.

Your university education gives you the foundation. Your professional experiences will build upon it. Your curiosity will take you further.

CIBSE Student Membership - Your First Step into the Profession

CIBSE Student Membership is completely free, and I strongly encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity. Joining CIBSE provides students with an opportunity to become part of a professional community, engage with industry, learn from experienced professionals and begin developing the professional relationships that can support them throughout their careers.

Building the Future Together

Developing the next generation of engineers is not the responsibility of universities alone. It requires the collective commitment of students, educators, professional institutions and industry.

When these communities come together, we create something far more valuable than knowledge - we create opportunity.

Over the past four years, I have seen first-hand the enthusiasm, creativity and potential of students across the region. Their questions, ideas and ambitions are a reminder of why educational engagement matters so much.

Our responsibility as industry professionals is to open doors, share knowledge, provide guidance and create opportunities for the next generation.

Because the students we engage with today will become the engineers, consultants, designers, leaders and innovators who shape the built environment of tomorrow.