University of Manchester Engineering Graduate Receives National Recognition

An ‘outstanding’ engineering graduate’s exceptional academic success has been rewarded with a double-award win and a sought-after internship at one of the world’s biggest companies.

Nicolo Frisiani, who is 21 and originally from Milan, is graduating from The University of Manchester's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering today (Thursday 18^th July). He will then head to London to spend his summer as a Marketing Strategy and Data Analyst Intern at PayPal.

However, not only is he celebrating his gradation and placement, but also winning the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Prize for Outstanding Students and University’s own Outstanding Academic Achievement Award (OAAA).

The IET prize is awarded annually to students nominated by their universities as that year’s most exceptional student. Nick Winser CBE, IET President said: “Our IET Prizes are a way for talented engineering students to be recognised for their outstanding ability in the early stages of their engineering journey.”

The University’s OAAA is given only to the top 0.5% of graduating students every year for their exceptional achievement and hard work. Nicolo received the award not only for his studies during university hours and being active member of campus life, but also his impressive drive to gain practical, industry experience.

This included a Business Development internship at V-Nova, a video-encoding start-up, in London after finishing his first year. The following year, he balanced working part-time as a Lead Student Head Hunter for Sanctuary Graduates while acting as treasurer of the University’s Electrical and Electronic Engineering Society (EEESoc). Finally, last summer, Nicolo packed his bags for Madrid, where he worked as a Data Science Intern at multinational bank, Santander.

Despite all his academic, placement and award-winning success, Nicolo says it will be the staff and students at the university that he will remember most fondly.

He said: “I would say that despite really liking my course and the challenges that came with it, the thing I enjoyed the most was the people. The University is filled with really amazing students and teachers and in these three years I built very strong relationships with many of them that will certainly last forever.”