College News

Former QE student talks about life as Archaeology professor in Cairo

Catching up with former students is always an inspiring and exciting occasion for staff and students at QE. Professor Tony Eddison studied Geology, Computer Science and Art at the College and was a member of the Student Association’s entertainment committee, organising social activities for other students. He now works in Cairo as an archaeology professor and as the Director of Coventry University whilst also being an advisor and external examiner to several UK and international universities for innovate post-graduate programmes. Tony has had his own work exhibited at the Royal British Society of Sculptors in London, presented conference papers at the Louvre in Paris and helped to excavate graves of Roman slaves in a school playground in Oxford. Other projects have included the application of his consultancy and research to real-world projects such as: Design Thinking, FABLAB Maker Spaces and LEGO.

Tony’s advice for current students is: ‘Be grounded, authentic, bold, forever curious and grateful. Times have changed since I was a student, but try to be patient and don’t seek out instant gratification. Be adventurous in whatever you do, set yourself challenges and above all, have fun!’ When asked about advice for students wanting to travel and work abroad, he explains: ‘I would encourage all students to spend time abroad; it’s certainly an adventure and will help with cultural intelligence and your linguistic skills. Living in a different country is a bold thing to do but the experience will build your confidence, self-reliance and will be something that you will never forget. It also looks good on job applications and CVs’.

If you are a former student and have a story to share, we would love to hear from you. If you could email qe@qeliz.ac.uk with your details, a member of staff will be in touch.