While completing his degree at Brock University, Abdul Hannan Anjum decided to take his lessons beyond the classroom.

As a participant in Brock’s co-op program, the 22-year-old Bachelor of Business Administration student knew the value of gaining first-hand workplace knowledge through work-integrated learning (WIL) to augment his studies. He also learned he could gain this type of development in experiential education initiatives.

In his fifth-year Information Systems research course, Anjum was given the task of creating a new patient information management system for Brock’s Nursing Simulation Lab that would more closely align its bedside documentation training process with the one currently being used by local health-care providers.

With guidance from Associate Professor of Information Systems Dipanjan Chatterjee, Anjum embraced the task at hand.

“The project really allowed me to be hands on,” he said. “Our clients in the nursing lab had very open communication and worked with us to get the project done in a shorter time frame. With their feedback, I was able to get the backend system of the application finished in three months, which is much faster than if the project had been outsourced.”

Anjum said the positive feeling of enhancing the educational experience of his peers was coupled with a new direction for his own studies.

“As a result of what I learned in the project, I’m building out my educational experience to further align with things like this, including pursuing a master’s degree in a similar field,” he said.

For his efforts on the project, Anjum will receive the 2023 Experiential Education Student of the Year award to be presented Wednesday, March 22 as part of the National Day of WIL and the University’s Co-op and WIL Month celebration.

The drop-in gathering will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Rankin Family Pavilion, where those in attendance can connect with Brock’s Co-op, Career and Experiential Education (CCEE) team, learn more about work-integrated learning projects in the community and celebrate all of this year’s award winners.

Award recipients include:

• Trenton Campbell — Co-op Student of the Year, undergraduate category
• Somnath Srinath — Co-op Student of the Year, graduate category
• Abdul Hannan Anjum — Experiential Education Student of the Year
• Naman Kour — Sohail Chilmeran Scholarship Recipient

CCEE Director Cara Krezek said the award recipients are a testament to Brock’s commitment to being a leader in the area of work-integrated learning.

“Brock’s position as a leader in work-integrated learning is reinforced by the exceptional efforts of our students,” she said. “Through co-op and experiential opportunities, they enhance their own skills while also contributing to projects that can save lives, enhance businesses and make the world a better place.”

As he anticipates receiving his award, Anjum is thankful for the honour and what it represents in his education and career journey.

“It’s so rewarding to help others through experiential education while also learning a lot about yourself,” he said. “My experience working with CCEE has been wonderful, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities that are now on my horizon.”

All are welcome to attend the drop-in event Wednesday, March 22. After the event, a full description of award winners will be available on the CCEE website.