Iranian student’s inspiring graduation journey after challenging year

Siavash Moshtaghi, from Iran, walked across the stage at The Lowry today after receiving his MSc in Project Management.

At Salford, he won an award and achieved recognition for his academic excellence while he had limited contact with his friends and family back home.

The 25-year-old said that it was an “extremely worrying and emotionally heavy time,” but he was determined to remain focussed on his end goal for himself and his family.

“I made the decision that I would not let everything I worked for slip away. Focusing was incredibly hard but I kept going, putting in whatever effort I could, day-by-day.

“That period taught me a great deal about resilience, continuing to move forward and deliver, even when circumstances were completely out my control. It is a lesson I will carry into everything I do,” said Siavash.

Siavash comes from a long line of academia, with his parents and sister having achieved degrees in economics, finance and molecular biology.

He became inspired to pursue his master’s at Salford after noticing his talent in risk management during his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering in Iran. 

Siavash said that his time at Salford was shaped by the supportive community and encourages students to push themselves out of their comfort zone. 

“My advice for future students is to be brave and step forward for any opportunity you have in mind. 

“I wish I had started sooner and pushed myself into uncomfortable situations, because that is where real growth happens. A year and a half ago, I never imagined my journey at Salford would be this rewarding and I’m deeply thankful for it,” continued Siavash.

His team also won Best University/Higher Education Project in the North West Network of the Association for Project Management (APM) Challenge, where they pitched to industry experts an alternative approach to measuring supply chain risk mitigation actions.

Dr Aaron Robertson, Lecturer in Supply Chains, Logistics and Project Management at the University of Salford, added: “We’re incredibly proud of Siavash’s achievement of getting a distinction. I had the wonderful pleasure of working with him on our research projects and his passion for project management shone through at every step of the way.

“Siavash’s achievement is a clear example of how having a supportive community can help students flourish and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for him.”