{"id":7882,"date":"2026-09-03T11:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T10:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/?p=7882"},"modified":"2026-09-03T11:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T10:58:22","slug":"dual-and-joint-awards-meet-our-researchers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/2026\/09\/03\/dual-and-joint-awards-meet-our-researchers\/","title":{"rendered":"Dual- and joint-awards: Meet the researchers taking their PhDs global"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b774bb0d wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Sarah Beeken<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px;width:6px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-2aa4ec05\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> \u00b7 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px;width:6px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-2aa4ec05\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date__modified-date wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-09-03T11:56:10+01:00\">3 September 2026<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px;width:6px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-2aa4ec05\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> \u00b7 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px;width:6px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-2aa4ec05\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-time-to-read\">8\u201312 minutes<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For&nbsp;PhD researchers looking to combine their&nbsp;projects&nbsp;with an&nbsp;invaluable&nbsp;international experience,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dual-&nbsp;and&nbsp;joint-awards<\/a>&nbsp;offer&nbsp;the unique opportunity to&nbsp;shape&nbsp;research across two institutions,&nbsp;two countries, multiple facilities,&nbsp;various&nbsp;supervisors&nbsp;and research communities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At The University of Manchester,&nbsp;our&nbsp;international&nbsp;partnerships&nbsp;allow for dual- and joint-award PhD programmes&nbsp;with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/bangalore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IISc&nbsp;Bangalore<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/tokyo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tokyo University<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/tsinghua\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tsinghua University,<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/peking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peking University<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/kharagpur\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IIT Kharagpur<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/golden\/melbourne\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The University of Melbourne,<\/a>as well as our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/a-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A*STAR PhD Programme<\/a>, a four-year PhD consisting of two years at The University of Manchester and two years at Singapore&#8217;s A*STAR Research Institute.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We spoke to four of our&nbsp;current&nbsp;dual- and joint-award researchers,&nbsp;Chloe,&nbsp;Rock,&nbsp;Sonu&nbsp;and&nbsp;Akshay.&nbsp;They shared&nbsp;their experience of research across two international universities, their chosen research areas&nbsp;and why they would recommend these&nbsp;uniquely rewarding&nbsp;PhD programmes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chloe&nbsp;Lipinski, University of Tokyo&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;harnessing bacteria to produce anti-tumour drugs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ab1094cdd820&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ab1094cdd820\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized is-style-shadow-light wp-lightbox-container\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--x-small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--x-small)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Chloe-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"PhD researcher Chloe Lipinksi\" class=\"wp-image-7883\" style=\"box-shadow:var(--wp--preset--shadow--light);width:1200px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Chloe-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Chloe-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Chloe-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Chloe-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Chloe-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chloe&nbsp;originally&nbsp;studied in&nbsp;the US,&nbsp;completing&nbsp;her bachelor\u2019s degree in Minnesota&nbsp;before&nbsp;moving&nbsp;to Tokyo for her&nbsp;master\u2019s&nbsp;degree. Her&nbsp;professor&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.u-tokyo.ac.jp\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Tokyo<\/a>&nbsp;recommended&nbsp;a dual-award PhD with&nbsp;The University of&nbsp;Manchester,&nbsp;and&nbsp;for Chloe, the timing was perfect: \u201cThe dual degree was a way to spice things up and also give me a way to learn something new,&nbsp;because it wouldn&#8217;t just be&nbsp;Chemistry, it was going to be&nbsp;Synthetic&nbsp;Biology as well.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chloe\u2019s&nbsp;research focuses on producing anti-tumour drugs using bacteria, combining synthetic biology with chemistry-based methods. By manipulating bacterial DNA, Chloe is exploring ways to produce useful compounds more&nbsp;sustainably, with&nbsp;reduced&nbsp;waste and using&nbsp;fewer harmful&nbsp;solvents,&nbsp;while also&nbsp;looking at ways to diversify and produce these drugs at scale.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;ability to conduct&nbsp;research across two universities&nbsp;has given her access to equipment,&nbsp;labs and support at&nbsp;two&nbsp;institutions \u2013&nbsp;doubling the&nbsp;resources available to&nbsp;get the most&nbsp;out&nbsp;of her&nbsp;research.&nbsp;This is&nbsp;particularly&nbsp;true at The University&nbsp;of Manchester, where&nbsp;Chloe&nbsp;has been able to&nbsp;conduct&nbsp;multiple experiments and produce more samples at the same time due to the available&nbsp;resources.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mib.manchester.ac.uk\/\">Manchester Institute of Biotechnology<\/a> (MIB), you&#8217;ll request facilities to train you on the equipment, and then you have their support,&#8221; Chloe explains. &#8220;There&#8217;s not just one piece of equipment I can use; there are so many to choose from, and they each have their own benefits.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adjusting to a new country came with its own challenges, particularly leaving friends behind and starting again. But having grown up in the US, Chloe found the move to Manchester more familiar than her earlier move to Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;How you socialise is very similar in the UK and the US,&#8221; Chloe says. &#8220;There are definitely differences, but compared to Japan, it&#8217;s not so different, so it was kind of nice to get back into that kind of setting.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finding the right flat share helped too. Chloe found a flatmate with years of experience living in Manchester through SpareRoom, who introduced her to friends outside her research. She also drew on the same approach she&#8217;d used to build a community in Tokyo, joining meet-up groups and sports clubs to put herself out there in a new city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chloe&#8217;s advice for anyone considering a similar move is honest: a dual-award PhD suits researchers who are ready to embrace a new culture, not just a new lab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;If you&#8217;re not willing to put yourself out there, to face adversity, and to accept all aspects of whatever culture you&#8217;re entering, I would not recommend this programme. But if you&#8217;re open to that, if you&#8217;re willing to face those challenges and excited by them, then I would definitely recommend it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-base-color has-base-2-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-1\"><blockquote><p>\u201cGoing to a different institution in a different country can&nbsp;really&nbsp;impact\u202fyour worldview&#8230;Take advantage of a lot of different opportunities that you\u202fwouldn&#8217;t\u202fget if you were just in one place.\u201d\u202f<br><\/p><cite>Chloe Lipinksi &#8211; postgraduate researcher,<br>The University of Manchester and University of Tokyo Dual-award PhD<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rock&nbsp;Agon,&nbsp;Tsinghua University&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;developing&nbsp;systems for a renewable future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2399\" height=\"1599\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited.jpg\" alt=\"PhD researcher Rock Agon\" class=\"wp-image-7889\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited.jpg 2399w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Rock-edited-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2399px) 100vw, 2399px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rock&#8217;s journey to a dual-award PhD began with advice from his master&#8217;s supervisor in Rwanda, a University of Manchester alumnus, who encouraged him to apply. Having also learnt about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tsinghua.edu.cn\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tsinghua University<\/a>&nbsp;at a conference, Rock was excited when the opportunity arose to undertake a dual-award PhD across both institutions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rock\u2019s&nbsp;PhD&nbsp;research focuses on improving how electrical networks and power systems are planned, so that countries can use more renewable energy without increasing the risk of blackouts.&nbsp;It&#8217;s&nbsp;a practical challenge with real-world implications, connecting engineering,&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;and sustainability.&nbsp;\u201cWe are trying to develop technology that supports the use of more renewable energy, without putting the electrical network at risk\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He is&nbsp;completing&nbsp;his first two years&nbsp;at The University of&nbsp;Manchester before continuing his research&nbsp;at&nbsp;Tsinghua University&nbsp;next year.&nbsp;He&nbsp;explains that&nbsp;moving to&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;was an&nbsp;adjustment&nbsp;at first,&nbsp;having moved from Africa&nbsp;where&nbsp;he experienced&nbsp;a&nbsp;very&nbsp;different&nbsp;culture and way&nbsp;of life&nbsp;than&nbsp;the UK. Despite this, Rock&nbsp;quickly settled&nbsp;in&nbsp;and&nbsp;is enjoying being part of the research community&nbsp;here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-base-color has-base-2-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-2\"><blockquote><p>\u201cIt\u2019s&nbsp;really,&nbsp;really great&nbsp;in terms of the research&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;what&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;learning and what&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;doing. You learn from your colleagues, you\u202fcollaborate together&nbsp;and you solve the problem together.&#8221;<br>&nbsp;<\/p><cite>Rock Agon &#8211; postgraduate researcher,<br>The University of Manchester and Tsinghua University Dual-award PhD<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest strengths of the&nbsp;dual-award, he says, is the supervisory network.&nbsp;He has four supervisors across the two universities and meets regularly with all of them and benefits from their&nbsp;perspectives, with&nbsp;input&nbsp;from all four of them&nbsp;into his research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a&nbsp;future&nbsp;alumnus&nbsp;from two universities,&nbsp;Rock&nbsp;hopes having two degrees from two universities will help him in his career:&nbsp;\u201cIn&nbsp;academia,&nbsp;the more you collaborate with&nbsp;universities, the higher your chances&nbsp;are&nbsp;when applying for a job.\u201d&nbsp;He continues, saying that&nbsp;doing the&nbsp;dual-award&nbsp;is&nbsp;\u201ca no-brainer,&#8221;&nbsp;and&nbsp;&#8220;just&nbsp;better,\u201d&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;thanks to its multitude of&nbsp;opportunities and&nbsp;expanded&nbsp;network of&nbsp;academics&nbsp;to pull from.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sonu&nbsp;Sudhikumar,&nbsp;IISc&nbsp;Bangalore&nbsp;\u2013 supporting&nbsp;sustainable energy storage&nbsp;through&nbsp;AI&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ab1094cdde03&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ab1094cdde03\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Sonu-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"PhD researcher Sonu Sudhikumar\" class=\"wp-image-7885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Sonu-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Sonu-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Sonu-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Sonu-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Sonu-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Sonu, the&nbsp;main&nbsp;appeal of a&nbsp;joint-award&nbsp;was the opportunity to work across two renowned universities&nbsp;while also&nbsp;pursuing&nbsp;his dream&nbsp;to complete a PhD. His&nbsp;PhD&nbsp;programme connects The University of Manchester with the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iisc.ac.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Indian Institute of Science&nbsp;Bangalore<\/a>&nbsp;(IISc&nbsp;Bangalore), bringing together&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;in chemical engineering, data&nbsp;science&nbsp;and imaging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being from India originally and having lived in the UK during his undergraduate and master\u2019s degrees at other UK universities, for Sonu, the opportunity&nbsp;of the&nbsp;joint-award&nbsp;meant&nbsp;more&nbsp;research facilities,&nbsp;more&nbsp;collaborative&nbsp;research&nbsp;and even more experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sonu works in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harwell.manchester.ac.uk\/research-areas\/subsurface-energy-and-storage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Subsurface Energy Storage Research Group<\/a>&nbsp;at&nbsp;The University of&nbsp;Manchester. His research explores how artificial intelligence can enhance low-resolution images of subsurface materials, helping researchers better understand structures linked to carbon capture and storage, hydrogen&nbsp;storage&nbsp;and other energy storage applications.&nbsp;\u201cWhat we are trying to do is use the low-resolution image, apply artificial intelligence and enhance it so that it will recover the microstructure detail normally produced in a real scan image.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;joint-award&nbsp;has given Sonu access to facilities and&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;he once saw as out of reach, including opportunities to work with advanced imaging techniques and specialist research teams. It has also shown him the value of collaboration, with colleagues supporting experiments and sharing methods that can be applied across different projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-base-color has-base-2-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-3\"><blockquote><p>\u201cI&#8217;m\u202freally proud\u202fworking with these people&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;It&#8217;s&nbsp;been\u202famazing.&nbsp;[My colleagues]&nbsp;are role&nbsp;models, because&nbsp;I never thought&nbsp;I\u2019d&nbsp;be&nbsp;working with such great people.&nbsp;Everybody is there for you.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;not like we are just on our own.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p><cite>Sonu Sudhikumar &#8211; postgraduate researcher,<br>The University of Manchester and IISc Bangalore Joint-award PhD<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;For&nbsp;Sonu, the programme has offered not only research progression, but a wider community of supervisors,&nbsp;advisers&nbsp;and peers&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;including&nbsp;invaluable&nbsp;support he received during major life events and difficult periods.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After spending his second year in India, Sonu came back to the UK early to conduct more experiments in the labs at&nbsp;The University of&nbsp;Manchester. He&nbsp;will be heading back to&nbsp;IISc&nbsp;Bangalore&nbsp;in September for his third year,&nbsp;completing&nbsp;his PhD one year early&nbsp;while&nbsp;remaining&nbsp;on track to&nbsp;publish&nbsp;work in five publications&nbsp;by the end of his PhD,&nbsp;thanks to his work with supervisors across both institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Akshay&nbsp;Kashyap, The University of Melbourne&nbsp;\u2013 developing solutions to water contamination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6ab1094cde3de&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6ab1094cde3de\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border is-style-shadow-light wp-lightbox-container\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--x-small);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--x-small)\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2449\" height=\"1633\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited.jpg\" alt=\"PhD researcher Akshay Kashyap presenting at a conference\" class=\"wp-image-7888\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px;border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;box-shadow:var(--wp--preset--shadow--light)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited.jpg 2449w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Akshay-edited-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2449px) 100vw, 2449px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before embarking on a dual-award PhD, Akshay was working in the field of arsenic and fluoride research, having studied this for his master\u2019s degree in India.&nbsp;Impassioned&nbsp;by his master&#8217;s degree, Akshay&nbsp;came across a dual PhD opportunity&nbsp;that&nbsp;linked to&nbsp;this&nbsp;area of interest&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;a partnership between&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unimelb.edu.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The University of Melbourne<\/a>&nbsp;and The University of Manchester.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;PhD&nbsp;project connected directly to issues he had seen in his local area in India, where water contamination has serious impacts on communities.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first stop on his dual-award journey was&nbsp;Melbourne, where&nbsp;he developed technical&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;and built a network&nbsp;of colleagues and friends, before moving to Manchester to complete his research.&nbsp;At The University of Manchester, Akshay unlocked&nbsp;complementary perspectives&nbsp;through fieldwork-focused supervision.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhenever I write a paper, I get two different perspectives on the same topic\u201d, Akshay explains having multiple supervisors across both institutions has helped with his research as he benefits from input from all these renowned academics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Akshay describes the dual-award as challenging but highly rewarding. Moving between universities, navigating different&nbsp;systems&nbsp;and adapting to&nbsp;new places&nbsp;requires resilience.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;he believes the experience has helped him build leadership, communication and networking skills that will support his future career:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-base-color has-base-2-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-4\"><blockquote><p>\u201cBeing\u202fin\u202ftwo\u202fdifferent places\u202fwill give me international outlook to improve my CV&#8230; If you overcome&nbsp;the&nbsp;challenges, if you overcome your comfort zones, you will be rewarded highly.&#8221;<br><\/p><cite>Akshay Kashyap &#8211; postgraduate researcher,<br>The University of Manchester and The University of Melbourne Dual-award PhD<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One highlight has been the development of his presentation skills. After initially struggling with public speaking, Akshay took part in the Three-Minute Thesis competition at Melbourne and progressed through several rounds.&nbsp;Now coming to the end of his PhD, Akshay&nbsp;has come a long way in&nbsp;both his research and confidence in&nbsp;public speaking&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp;having recently been&nbsp;selected for a graduate research showcase with industry and government professionals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Explore dual- and joint-awards at Manchester<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interested in&nbsp;expanding your&nbsp;PhD research experience?&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn&nbsp;more about our&nbsp;dual- and joint-award&nbsp;partnerships<\/a>,&nbsp;including&nbsp;available&nbsp;projects&nbsp;and application information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-c7ebd8d6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--1\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-base-color has-base-2-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sites.se.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/category\/postgraduate-research\/\">Read more postgraduate researcher stories<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dual- and joint-award FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>How do dual- and joint-awards work?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers can split their time across one of these institutions and Manchester to complete their research and receive either two awards, or a combined PhD award, from two global universities.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>What&#8217;s&nbsp;the benefit of a&nbsp;dual- or joint-award PhD?<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dual- and joint-awards&nbsp;allow&nbsp;researchers to step outside the familiar and make the most of multiple research&nbsp;facilities, as well as draw on the&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;of multiple PhD supervisors,&nbsp;an expanded research network and benefit from multiple perspectives on their research topic.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>Which universities does The University of Manchester partner with for the dual- and joint-awards?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University of Manchester is partnered with many leading international universities in science and engineering, including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/bangalore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ISSc Bangalore,<\/a>&nbsp;India&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/tokyo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tokyo University,<\/a>&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/tsinghua\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tsinghua University,<\/a>&nbsp;China&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/peking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Peking University,<\/a>&nbsp;China&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/kharagpur\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IIT Kharagpur,<\/a>&nbsp;India&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/golden\/melbourne\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The University of Melbourne,<\/a>&nbsp;Australia.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.manchester.ac.uk\/study\/postgraduate-research\/degrees-and-projects\/dual-and-joint-awards\/a-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A*STAR&nbsp;Research Institute<\/a>,&nbsp;Singapore.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-layout-flex wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uomscieng?igsh=djNrbmllczMxZGo3\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 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c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-youtube wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@UoMSciEng\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M21.8,8.001c0,0-0.195-1.378-0.795-1.985c-0.76-0.797-1.613-0.801-2.004-0.847c-2.799-0.202-6.997-0.202-6.997-0.202 h-0.009c0,0-4.198,0-6.997,0.202C4.608,5.216,3.756,5.22,2.995,6.016C2.395,6.623,2.2,8.001,2.2,8.001S2,9.62,2,11.238v1.517 c0,1.618,0.2,3.237,0.2,3.237s0.195,1.378,0.795,1.985c0.761,0.797,1.76,0.771,2.205,0.855c1.6,0.153,6.8,0.201,6.8,0.201 s4.203-0.006,7.001-0.209c0.391-0.047,1.243-0.051,2.004-0.847c0.6-0.607,0.795-1.985,0.795-1.985s0.2-1.618,0.2-3.237v-1.517 C22,9.62,21.8,8.001,21.8,8.001z M9.935,14.594l-0.001-5.62l5.404,2.82L9.935,14.594z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">YouTube<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-linkedin wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/rainz-cdt\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M19.7,3H4.3C3.582,3,3,3.582,3,4.3v15.4C3,20.418,3.582,21,4.3,21h15.4c0.718,0,1.3-0.582,1.3-1.3V4.3 C21,3.582,20.418,3,19.7,3z M8.339,18.338H5.667v-8.59h2.672V18.338z M7.004,8.574c-0.857,0-1.549-0.694-1.549-1.548 c0-0.855,0.691-1.548,1.549-1.548c0.854,0,1.547,0.694,1.547,1.548C8.551,7.881,7.858,8.574,7.004,8.574z M18.339,18.338h-2.669 v-4.177c0-0.996-0.017-2.278-1.387-2.278c-1.389,0-1.601,1.086-1.601,2.206v4.249h-2.667v-8.59h2.559v1.174h0.037 c0.356-0.675,1.227-1.387,2.526-1.387c2.703,0,3.203,1.779,3.203,4.092V18.338z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-c7ebd8d6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-77d01fa2 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last reviewed:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date__modified-date wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-09-03T11:56:10+01:00\">3 September 2026<\/time><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For\u00a0PhD researchers looking to combine their\u00a0projects\u00a0with an\u00a0invaluable\u00a0international experience,\u00a0dual-\u00a0and\u00a0joint-awards\u00a0offer\u00a0the unique opportunity to\u00a0shape\u00a0research across two institutions,\u00a0two countries, multiple facilities and supervisors. Learn more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":7891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[895,365,921],"tags":[916,924,925,919,926,928,922],"class_list":["post-7882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-postgraduate-research","category-student-stories","category-studying-abroad","tag-ai","tag-dual-award-2","tag-joint-award","tag-phd","tag-renewable-energy","tag-study-abroad","tag-synthetic-biology"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dual and Joint-Awards: Meet The Researchers Taking PhDs Global<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Four PhD researchers from our dual- and joint-award programmes describe their experiences and the benefit of these unique PhDs. Read more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dual and Joint-Awards: Meet The Researchers Taking PhDs Global\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Four PhD researchers from our dual- and joint-award programmes describe their experiences and the benefit of these unique PhDs. 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