Geospatial Systems -

Ambreen Masud

Biography

About Ambreen Masud

Having been born and raised in London and exposed to a city with stark wealth inequalities and differences in neighbourhoods, I became really interested in understanding cities on a deeper level. This is what led to my undergraduate in urban planning, where I had exposure to a variety of national and international projects. After getting my MPlan, I decided that I really wanted to pursue work in international development, something which I had some exposure to during my studies. I worked on a water and sanitation project in rural Tanzania, which cemented my interest in working in international development, and I went back into education to do an MSc in environmental change and international development.

Whilst the fascination in people and places never went away, my life and work experience took me down a variety of differing roles. Amongst other things, I have worked in social research with think tank Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in community development with social enterprise Spice and taught English both abroad and in the UK.

Like many, the pandemic really made me revaluate what I was passionate about and I quickly realised I wanted to get back to my roots, particularly with the aim of seeking solutions to urban resilience and social inclusion. I had been keen on doing a PhD that incorporated technological solutions to complex issues within cities, and that is what led me to the CDT.

I applied for the CDT because of the interdisciplinary approach to the programme, the opportunities for growth in knowledge and technical skills, and the supportive network that exists. I am keen to make the most of the learning over this MRes year and develop my PhD research during this time and am excited to see what the next four years will bring.