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Name: Snorri Már Arnórsson
Programme: MSc Structural and Fire Safety Engineering
Hometown: Reykjavík, Iceland
Why did you choose to study your MSc programme at the University of Edinburgh?
I chose to do my MSc studies at the University of Edinburgh as it gave me the opportunity to learn Fire Safety Engineering in a country I am familiar with. Edinburgh is a beautiful city as well as being a comfortable size, making it a great place to study and get to know a new culture.
I worked as an intern at an engineering consultancy the summer before I went to Edinburgh. During my internship I was introduced to fire safety engineering and the main challenges in design, which encouraged me to apply for the MSc Programme at the University of Edinburgh.
How would you explain your MSc topic - structural and fire safety engineering - to a non-expert?
As the building industry is constantly innovating, a lot of challenges need to be met in terms of fire safety in buildings. The Programme teaches you how to deal with these challenges and how to react to these innovations in design to ensure that buildings are safe.
To meet this challenge, the Programme equips you with fundamental knowledge and experience with fire phenomena and an understanding on how structures, people and fire safety systems respond to fire.
During the programme we used ‘real-world’ case studies, where we do fire and egress modelling for buildings.
What aspects of the Programme have you enjoyed most?
I really enjoyed doing my dissertation, where I got the opportunity to spend time in the fire laboratory doing experiments to study the burning of wood.
All the teachers were really helpful during my studies.
Outside of your studies, what were your highlights of being a student at Edinburgh?
I really enjoyed exploring the city and travelling around Scotland to see the amazing landscape. I also really enjoyed living in a diverse student accommodation where I got to know a lot of new people from all around the world.
What do you plan to do next? Has your time at Edinburgh helped to shape your career goals?
I am currently working as a Fire Safety Engineer at an engineering consultancy firm in my home country where I can use my knowledge to make buildings safer.
Is there any advice you would give to prospective students thinking about studying your Programme at Edinburgh?
If you are interested in learning about the fundamentals of fire science and gaining knowledge of the critical issues in structural fire safety engineering I highly recommend the Programme.
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