My Manchester: "Equality, diversity and inclusion is very important to Manchester and me"

We talk to Amirhossein Balali, CPHD, SFHEA , a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering from Iran and recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship Award, about what he loves about Manchester, trying fish and chips for the first time and the amazing views from his office.

You moved from Iran to Manchester for your PhD; what was it that you knew about Manchester before you arrived???

I researched Manchester when applying and I understood that equality, diversity and inclusion has a special place in the city and diversity is very important for me. I knew that many people from many countries and cultures exist in Manchester and, to me, that makes Manchester home.?

I also knew that the weather is a bit different to where I come from, where we usually have sunny days and the temperature is high, but I like it because it's usually very fresh, and I think it's very good for your health.?

It’s surprising how often the weather comes up and people actually like it! What kind of areas have you been able to explore in Manchester???

On campus I really like Brunswick Park, during the week I’ll go there and grab a coffee, have a seat or go for a walk. A bit further away, I like the Castlefield canals. Walking there is really enjoyable and very peaceful.??

While you’ve been exploring the city you must’ve discovered some of Manchester’s amazing food options, do you have any recommendations??

As you said, I come from Iran and the neighbourhood which is close to our culture and where you can find Iranian supermarkets, restaurants and so on, is Rusholme, so I usually go to Iranian restaurants there.??

What's the one dish that you would suggest if someone was interested in going to Rusholme and trying some Iranian food??

OK, so if you're interested in trying Iranian food, some of the foods that I would suggest are Chelo kabab Kubideh, Fesenjun and something we call to Lamb Shank, Mahicheh.?

Sounds lovely!?

It is but, since I’ve been here, I’ve tried out foods from other nationalities too. A lot of nationalities exist in Manchester, each with their own restaurants, so one of my suggestions is that, while you're here, try to taste other nationalities’ foods - it's really worth it.?

I've tried Arab restaurants with one of my Arab friends too and it was very good.??

I also recently tried fish and chips in the city centre for the first time too and I liked it a lot. I would suggest people try it for sure!?

It must be challenging to settle in to a new city, a new culture and a new country, all while starting something a tough as a PhD. What was is that helped you to settle in???

Of course, it was. I'm in my third year now but for the last two years my wife has been here with me which has helped me in my work and life balance. Now she's starting her PhD too, so it's time that I help her because when you begin your PhD it’s a bit scary at the beginning. It's very good that someone is there in terms of your wellbeing. When you have someone, that person can take care of the other parts of your life which is very important.?

That must be a real help! What kind of things do you like to do together in your down time???

Both of us really like exercising, and we usually go to the gym together. Other times we go swimming, we walk in some of the parks. One of the things that we like is to try different parks. Recently we tried Heaton Park, which I would say is one of the best parks I've ever seen in my life. We were there for the whole day and we went to the lake, where we tried the boats.?

It’s huge, isn’t it! What would you say your typical weekend looks like???

I pick one of the days for doing some studying but not completely as a working day. I work four or five hours in one of the days and I have the other day for having fun and getting refreshed for the week ahead.?

And back on campus, you’ve mentioned Brunswick Park but do you have any other favourite spots???

I'm based in Engineering Building A, so balconies! Balconies exist in floors five and six which postgraduate researchers can access, and they're very peaceful places with great views of the city and the countryside. You can just grab your coffee, have a seat there and enjoy your time. From the balcony you can see Manchester’s nature to a large extent - a lot of green trees and countryside – and the city too, it's very enjoyable.

Are you looking to do any travelling in the UK while you're here??

I've travelled to London; I think it's everyone's plan to visit London, which is one of the best cities in the world. And I visited Bath, and I would say it was one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. Very green, very peaceful.??

A lot of people may be wondering how Manchester and London compare, what do you think???

I can say that Manchester has everything. It's very peaceful and isn’t as crowded as London. I've been to London lots of times since I’ve lived here and whenever I go there it's very busy. I don't say it's bad - it's very good for many people - but for myself, I prefer calm places so I would definitely prefer to live in Manchester.?

How about getting about and traveling around the city??

In London it usually takes a lot of time to go to other places, even if you're using the Tube. It may take one hour to reach your destination and maybe you're just travelling in the centre, but in Manchester, in one hour you can go to east to west completely. Our apartment is on the edge of Salford, and we walk to campus every day which might sound like a long way but it only takes about 30 minutes.?