Westminster alumni are winners and finalists at the British Council’s Study UK Alumni Awards 2022-23

Study UK is a global campaign that promotes the UK as the first-choice study destination to international students and their influencers. Their prestigious international Alumni Awards were launched in September 2014 and were developed by the British Council and UK universities.

Award winners and finalists are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, professions, and countries. The Alumni Awards celebrate and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education and raises the profile and reputation of UK alumni, their former universities, and the whole of UK education.

This year the Culture and Creativity Award in India was presented to Puja Changoiwala, alumna of the International Journalism MA course, award-winning journalist and author of three books, Homebound, Gangster on the Run, The Front Page Murders. Her works have been published across prestigious publications, including the BBC, CNN, The Guardian, National Geographic, and Al Jazeera, just to name a few. Puja is also a Fellow of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, recipient of the International Centre for Journalists' Coronavirus Reporting Award, and the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity, among many others.

In Pakistan, the Culture and Creativity Award was presented to Dawood Shah Tareen, fellow of the Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship (SAJP), hosted by the University of Westminster. Dawood is an influential journalist, filmmaker, social activist, entrepreneur, and master trainer. He is the Director for the Culture Department at the Government of the province of Balochistan, and is devoted to enhancing the role of culture and arts through media and film.

Alumnus Sarvar Abdullaev was one of the finalists for the Science and Sustainability Award in Uzbekistan. Sarvar graduated from the Business Computing BSc course, and now works as a researcher and developer with a background in software development and engineering. He is also an Assistant Professor at Inha University in Tashkent, with previous teaching experience at Kings Collage London, and Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT).

Also in Uzbekistan, Azizbek Kurbonov received the Business and Innovation Award as graduate of WIUT’s Economics BA course. Azizbek is the CEO of Stealth Startup, and Co-Founder and CMO of Sug'urta Bozor online insurance marketplace. With solid background in marketing and sales, he aims to provide information on insurance and better access to insurance products in Uzbekistan.
Denis Roman, alumnus of the Business and Information Systems BSc course at WIUT, was a finalist of the Business and Innovation Award. As the CEO and Managing partner of We Digital agency, he specialises in social media marketing and influencer outreach. 

Tatyana Bystrushkina, graduate of the International Business Management BSc course at WIUT, was also a finalist in Uzbekistan for the Social Action Award. She is the Executive Director of American Chamber of Commerce in Uzbekistan and Associate Professor at Webster University, USA. Tatyana leads policy dialogue with the Uzbek Government, representing the private sector. She is Member of the Foreign Investors' Council, Uzbekistan, and Member of the Advisory Committee for the Sustainable Development of the Aral Sea region.

Talking about the success of Westminster alumni worldwide, David Brooks, Alumni Relations Officer at the University of Westminster, said: “We are thrilled that so many Westminster alumni have been recognised for their achievements around the world. Whether in culture, business or science, these awards demonstrate how graduates are leaving Westminster and making a difference in their home countries.”

Learn more about Alumni and Supporters at the University of Westminster.