Aleksandr Albert,
UTT Graduate - Bachelor of Applied Science in Process Engineering

"A little over a year ago I became the youngest winner of UTT's annual business plan competition, successfully pitching my vision for a novel automatic car wash to the distinguished judges in attendance. At the time, I was in the closing stages of acquiring my recently accredited Process Engineering undergraduate degree; completing my final year project along with team members Laura Lewis and Chandshaykar Koongebeharry. Together, we successfully developed a world class algorithm for the analysis of a special class of industrial catalytic reactions. Our project went on to be featured at the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) ESCAPE22 conference held in the United Kingdom in July, 2012.

When I arrived at UTT in 2007, the University was in a transitional phase. At the time, UTT was only four years old and the first batches of graduates had just entered the industrial environment, so, naturally there was skepticism among industrial parties regarding the quality of our students. The University was, however, very ambitious and adopted a practical and collaborative teaching philosophy. As engineers, we were trained to use tools that turn theory into profit. Over the course of my stay, I saw a very dedicated group of students and teachers work hard to earn international accreditation in our various programmes. Today, I am proud to say that their hard work has paid off as the University currently enjoys specialised accreditation for many of the engineering and maritime programmes coupled with the overarching Institutional Accreditation which was awarded by the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago.

What sets UTT apart was the University's dedication to promoting entrepreneurship and creativity among its students. Our lecturers taught us that, as an emerging University, it was up to us, the students, to make our mark in industry through our actions. It was clear to us that we did not have any laurels to rest upon! We were guided by lecturers who knew that their success would be reflected in our own and, I can honestly say, they inspired me to challenge myself and fulfill my potential!

As the C.E.O. of "Turbo Wash Enterprises", I can state categorically that my company's vision has evolved tremendously over the past year.  The company is poised to deliver a suite of products far outside the realm of car wash equipment and this we believe will not only allows us to penetrate the local market but impact fully on the global market as well. The company's ever- evolving nature has meant countless of hours of hard work but the product will be well worth the wait. I would like to thank my alma mater, UTT, for instilling the entrepreneurial drive for me to succeed as a young entrepreneur."