Callum Russell

By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn” – Latin proverb.

To me, teaching is a way of life, deeply rooted in my very being, and it has been for over a decade. It’s not just about the transfer of knowledge, it’s about facilitating a motivating and inspiring learning environment rich in open discussion. When delivering a lecture, words cannot describe the excitement and intoxicating rush of standing in front of a class and sharing not only my knowledge but also my story. My approach to teaching is based on a student-centred approach combined with inquiry-based and constructivist philosophies. I take inspiration from the philosophy of Rolls Royce which quotes… “Strive for perfection in everything we do. Take the best that exists and make it better. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough”. This incessant need to want my students to be the very best is one of the key drivers which influence my approach to teaching. Through my work as a private education consultant and university lecturer, my style has been consistently refined over the years and is something I am particularly proud of.

In my capacity as a lecturer, I primarily teach a wide range of Chemical Engineering modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with my current specialisms being in Reactor Design, Reaction Engineering, Heat Transfer, Distillation, and Bioenergy. I am also actively involved in the teaching of several postgraduate modules in Project Management. These include Project Risk Management and Project Management Fundamentals. The MSc Project Management program consists mainly of international students from Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, and India. This exposure to a highly diverse cohort of students has enhanced my teaching abilities, allowing me to adapt and tailor my material that works best for my students. In addition to this my international teaching extends to developing and delivering Engineering Mathematics to student in Wuxi, China.

Having been a public and motivational speaker for many years, I believe providing students exposure to oral presentations is essential for learning and development. Having hosted many extracurricular events on public speaking and how to communicate effectively; I have been influential within my department in implementing continuous assessments with a high degree of oral presentations to enable students to gain the confidence and skills that are critical for communicating effectively when working in industry.