Lifelong learning student overcomes ‘heartbreaking’ obstacles to win Inspire! Award

A Lifelong Learning student at a Welsh university looking forward to a career in healthcare has been recognised for his achievements with a prestigious award.

Dr Hamdi Abdalrhman has been studying courses provided by Lifelong Learning at Cardiff University, leading to him winning an Inspire! Award from the Learning and Work Institute Wales (L&W).

Hamdi, who is 31 and lives in Adamsdown, Cardiff, has an inspirational life story. From a small village in Darfur, to working in Khartoum as a medical professional, to completing business and management courses at Lifelong Learning; the opportunity to learn has transformed Hamdi’s life.

Skills

When growing up in rural Darfur, medical provision was scarce, and education was not a priority. With encouragement from his mother, Hamdi studied hard at school and completed his medical training at Omdurman Islamic University.

To strengthen his skills Hamdi then spent five years as a postgraduate as an ER medical manager in a Khartoum ENT hospital in Sudan which exposed him to the challenges of healthcare management, particularly workforce shortages and maintaining service quality.

Since coming to Wales, Hamdi has dedicated his life to developing his business skills to improve medical practices. He enrolled on Essential Management and Leadership Skills courses at Lifelong Learning and is continuing his educational journey by studying Project Management.

Hamdi said: “The impact of these courses has been profound. Personally, I have developed advanced critical thinking skills and the ability to manage time effectively. Professionally, I have gained confidence in team leadership and resource management while embracing reflective practices.

“The journey has not been without its challenges. As an immigrant from Sudan, I have faced cultural adjustments and emotional hardships stemming from the ongoing war in my home country.

“The tragic loss of my younger sister during this war has been a heartbreaking obstacle. Yet, these adversities have only strengthened my resolve to continue learning and contributing meaningfully to society. Access to education has changed my life.”

Inspiration

Hamdi has now accepted a place to study an MSc in Surgical Science and Practice at Oxford University.

Dr Sara Jones, Co-ordinating Lecturer at Lifelong Learning, commented: “We would like to congratulate Hamdi on his well-deserved success.

“His story demonstrates the transformative power of education and the importance of making learning opportunities available to everyone. We are sure he will continue to shine in his future career, and we hope his story inspires others to return to the classroom.”

Nisha Patel from L&W added: “Hamdi is a massive inspiration – we really enjoyed reading about his journey, and how far he’s travelled to build such a rewarding career.”