Essex graduates from across the world recognised in Study UK Alumni Awards

Our outstanding graduates from around the world have once again been celebrated by the Study UK Alumni Awards.

Over the past year seven of our alumni were chosen as finalists or won awards in their national Study UK Alumni Awards.

Three alumni were also named global finalists in their categories of the annual awards organised by the British Council to celebrate the outstanding achievements of graduates from UK universities and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education.

With the 2020-21 Study UK Alumni Awards now opening for nominations we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the success of our amazing Essex community.

National award winners and finalists

• Yiping Xia (MSc Telecommunication and Information Systems, 2005) – Entrepreneurial Award, Winner, China
• Chavalida Piromwongse (LLM International Trade Law, 2010) – Social Impact Award, Finalist, Thailand
• Khalifa Al Haroon, (English Language Foundation, 2003) – Entrepreneurial Award, Finalist, Qatar
• Patcharapavalan Wan-O-Ta Akbar (LLM International Human Rights Law, 2016) – Social Impact Award, Finalist, Thailand
• Reem Elmeleegy (MA Theory and Practice of Human Rights, 2017) – Social Impact Award, Finalist Egypt
• Dr Ho Sook Wah (PhD Applied Linguistics, 2014) – Social Impact Award, Finalist, Malaysia
• Sofia Tsilidou (MA Gallery Studies, 1997) – Nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Greece

Sofia Tsilidou works at the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports - Directorate of Museums, where she is mainly responsible for European cooperation on museum policy. In 2013 she became a national representative at the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Council of the EU and since 2011 she has been a Member of the NEMO Executive Board. She has been involved in work for the promotion and awareness raising of cultural heritage and museums at national level, worked as a project officer in EU-funded projects and as a registrar for national and international exhibitions. She holds a BA Archaeology and History of Art from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and a MA Gallery Studies from Essex.

Global finalists

• Khalifa Al Haroon (English Language Foundation, 2003) – Entrepreneurial Award, Finalist, Qatar. Watch Khalifa's video story on LinkedIn
• Jian Jiang (PhD Computational Finance, 2011) Entrepreneurial Award, Finalist, Netherlands. Watch Jian's video story on LinkedIn
• Lilia Petrosyan (LLM International Human Rights Law, 2013) – Professional Achievement Award, Finalist, Switzerland. Watch Lilia's story on LinkedIn

"Essex Spirit in action" 

Director of Advancement at Essex, Jo Rogers, said: “We’re immensely proud that once again our alumni are being recognised across the world by these awards. They show the impact of our amazing graduates and their commitment to making a difference. They are brilliant examples of the Essex Spirit in action.”