Twenty-four year old student, Ahmad Mashadani is set to end his study aboard placement in memorable style, after embarking on a 20,000km road trip on the back of his trustee 110cc scooter.
The journey will see the Business Management student travel through 21 countries, as he rides from The University of Nottingham’s Malaysia Campus to the institution’s main campus in the UK.
Describing his motivation as a long held ambition to travel the world, coupled with his desire to raise money for the Red Cross, Ahmad admits that while the idea seemed daunting at first, he is now excited by the unpredictability of the trip.
He said: “I wanted to do the trip for the challenge it represents and the experiences I might have along the road. The chance to drive anywhere, with the relative freedom of having the world’s road network in front of me, and experiencing things that other travellers might not, makes the concept of travelling by scooter very tempting.”
The trip was made possible after Malaysian motorcycle manufacturer Demak, provided Ahmad with a free scooter, while GIVI gave him the clothing and motorcycle accessories he required. The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus has also donated RM2000 to help fund Ahmads journey. Ever since, he has been going through the laborious task of sketching out a basic route and securing the necessary visas.
However, with the paperwork now in place, Ahmad is excited about the potential help his adventure could provide to some of the world’s poorest people. He explained: “I choose to raise money for the Red Cross after having the privilege of meeting many people that have volunteered with the charity.
“The Red Cross has always been first on site following natural disasters, wars and other miserable conditions that people might suffer through, trying to help people regardless of the severity of those situations. Now I want to raise awareness of their actions, and the unselfishness of their volunteers, who often put their lives at risk to help others.”
Together with messages of support from his fellow students and previous experience gained during a similar 4,000km trip through South and South East Asia, Ahmad will set off from the University’s Malaysia campus on Friday 29 June.
Before setting off, he said: “Getting out of the routine of the everyday life, the chance to experience things that few lucky others might have experienced before, and challenging my boundaries and understanding of others is what I am really looking forward to.
“Although it might sound strange, the need to complete this journey on a ‘student’ budget is also something I am kind of looking forward to. An element of unpredictability of how I am going to manage and if I am going manage, makes the whole trip that bit more exciting.”
If you would like to follow Ahmad’s progress or sponsor his incredible journey, please visit his blog, donations site or facebook page.
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More information is available from Harry Waddle, Student Communications Officer, The University of Nottingham on +44 (0)115 823 2353 or harry.waddle@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is also the most popular university in the UK by 2012 application numbers, and ‘the world’s greenest university’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.
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Posted on 27th June 2012