The Research Placements and Experiences Programme, designed to give students authentic and inspiring opportunities within different STEM sectors, proudly supported 40 students this year.
On 9 October, more than 100 guests — including students, proud families, friends, and placement providers — gathered at Techniquest for a vibrant celebration evening honouring this year’s achievements.
Seven organisations hosted placements in 2025, including NetZero Industry Wales, several of Wales’ leading universities, and of course, Techniquest itself. Once again, the University of South Wales welcomed the highest number of students — 20 in total.
The evening began with a warm welcome from Andrea Meyrick, Techniquest’s Head of Learning, who has managed the programme for over a decade. Guests then explored the student project displays, which showcased an impressive range of STEM topics — from spinal activity and microbiology to algorithmic investigations.
Before the certificate presentations, attendees heard inspiring addresses from Rita Singh, Techniquest Trustee, and Professor Valerie Sparkes of Cardiff University — a long-standing programme supporter. Rita praised the exceptional standard of student work this year, before passing the spotlight to Professor Sparkes for the second half of the presentation.
To mark her retirement and ten-plus years of dedication to the programme, Professor Sparkes was presented with a bouquet of flowers and heartfelt thanks from all in attendance.
The celebrations concluded with the presentation of the prestigious Steve Bowden Award, a £1,000 cash prize recognising the student with the most outstanding post-placement assignment. Ali Bowden presented the award on behalf of the late former Chair of the Board, Steve Bowden, to Phoebe Whant (Coleg Gwent) for her fascinating project, Microbiology: The 5-Second Rule — Fact or Fiction?
A huge congratulations to all our students for their creativity, curiosity, and commitment throughout the summer — and sincere thanks to our partner organisations for their continued support in nurturing Wales’ next generation of STEM professionals.