MA student Paavan Popat wins cheque for 拢3000 as best student entrant in Bucknall Austin's Prot茅g茅 competition

QS and Bucknall Austin revealed the winner of its student Prot茅g茅 competition at a ceremony last week.

MA student Paavan Popat beat off five finalists to win the award, and a cheque for 拢3000, for its best student entrant.

Paavan Popat
Paavan Popat behind his 拢3000 winner's cheque

Over 200 cognate and non-cognate students entered the competition, backed by 好色先生TV, last year. Around 20 of these attended a formal assessment day in February before a shortlist of eight was drawn up. These eight then undertook a live challenge when they attended a networking event before the final three were then interviewed by a panel that included former CBI director general and Government skills tsar Sir Digby Jones.

Popat, 22, who will join Bucknall鈥檚 London office in October as a project manager, said he was excited at winning the award but was now concentrating on doing a good job for the firm. 鈥淚 know the pressure is on that I live up to expectations. I know this is just the beginning for me.鈥�

Popat first took a management degree at the University of Leicester before taking an MA in property development and construction at Nottingham Trent University. He said a trip a Dubai last year inspired him to want to work in construction.