Quantity surveyor graduating from Heriot-Watt urges other women to follow their dreams
A construction industry professional from India who graduates today with her Masters degree as a mature student says all women should follow their dreams.
Sarbari Trivedi, 41, spent 16 years working in India’s construction industry as a quantity surveyor before deciding to complete her education at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland with a Master of Science degree in Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying.
The decision involved leaving her home in the city of Pune in the state of Maharashtra in Western India and moving to Scotland to live and study. But Sarbari credits her husband, Hasit Trivedi – who stayed back home in Pune – with fully supporting her.
I wanted to upgrade myself because the engineering field is evolving.
“It was my husband's support which helped me to make this academic journey,” Sarbari said. “We’ve been married for 14 years and when told him that I wanted to pursue my study, he was very supportive and encouraging and said – you should do it.”
Sarbari said she chose the UK and Heriot-Watt because she wanted a Masters programme that was accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a globally recognised professional body for surveyors.
“I wanted to upgrade myself because the engineering field is evolving,” Sarbari explained. “I wanted to better understand new methods and technologies as well as deepening my understanding of global best practices and aligning my future work with the evolving demands of the construction industry”.
Sarbari already has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Pune University in India, where the emphasis is on technical and numerical skills. Postgraduate courses in UK, on the other hand, focus more on skills like critical thinking, Sarbari said.
Initially, she started her career at an Indian contractor firm where she worked on projects including technology parks and hotels. Sarbari also worked with a consultancy firm on a new factory project in Gujarat for car manufacturer Ford.
She then spent more than 11 years working on construction projects for a large multinational engineering consultancy, Dar Al-Handasah. This included landmark projects, including two of the stadium projects for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and NEOM, a new futuristic city being developed in Saudi Arabia.
Sarbari hopes her story will inspire other women to follow their dream careers, whatever their age.
“Construction is a very a male dominated industry, but I hope women like me with different stories can help to inspire women to fulfil their dreams at any age,” she said. “It can be very demanding for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (‘STEM’) careers, because employers expect the same from both women and men in these roles. But it’s not the same for women – because we often have other family responsibilities alongside our work. Women can tend to prioritise others rather than themselves. I’m saying – live for yourself – and follow your dreams.”
Sarbari said she feels overwhelmed to have completed her studies and to now be graduating.
“This is a big milestone in my life and I'm very happy,” she said. “My parents and my husband are also very proud of me. I don’t mind saying that I’m really proud of myself too, because it was challenging and I’ve done really well.”
For her graduation today from Heriot-Watt’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Sarbari will be joined by her husband Hasit, who is a chemical engineer working in the environmental industry. After graduating, Sarbari hopes to apply for a graduate visa to gain construction industry experience in the UK.