Thomas Xuan Meng

Dr Thomas Xuan Meng's positive experience of the emergency services in Scotland led him to volunteer as a special constable.

Your time at the University  

I have spent the last 11 years in Scotland, and I studied in Edinburgh for more than five years. When I first arrived in Edinburgh, I knew the place had so much culture and history that I would love spending my time there. My days in Edinburgh were enlightening, I met my future wife during a seminar at University. Years later, we had a traditional Scottish marriage to celebrate our times in Edinburgh. I will never forget the joyful days in King's Buildings and the Riccarton area.

Your experiences since leaving the University

After I graduated from the University of Edinburgh, I applied for and completed my PhD degree in engineering at the University of Glasgow. During my years as a PhD candidate, I assisted my supervisor on developing a numerical analysis tool that could solve various industrial challenges in the engineering sector. The program we built has been presented to wide audiences in more than five global conferences each year. It has been used and helped many scholars in their research. I proposed and introduced a novel error estimation metric and technique, which could be implemented to estimate and optimize the conventional computational methods on solving acoustic problems.

During my life in Scotland, I have had an absolutely positive experience with the Scottish emergency services. They are generally helpful, friendly and always willing to devote their time to protecting people while risking their own lives. When I first arrived in Scotland, I lost the way to my accommodation and I asked a police officer in a response vehicle for help. He not only responded with patience and reassurance but also gave me a lift to the address I provided him on a small card.

I also wanted to help people in need so I joined as a volunteer police officer (special constable) during my studies and assisted the regular officers in my community. The most rewarding part of being a police officer is knowing that even with the smallest act, the positive impact on people who have difficulties in their lives could be huge. This is the biggest source of satisfaction in my job.

Other than my volunteering job, I have been practicing various sports such as kendo and jiujitsu. We won the bronze medal at a university kendo competition in 2017. I also hold a blue belt, silver medal and trainer certificate in jiujitsu.

​​​​​​​The most rewarding part of being a police officer is knowing that even with the smallest act, the positive impact on people who have difficulties in their lives could be huge.

Enjoy the time you have at university, make friends and join the sports clubs, you will never know whom you will meet during this time. Your social life is as equally important as your studies. Your experiences will define who you are, not your exam results. The University of Edinburgh offers various opportunities and you can meet people from diverse backgrounds.

Related links

MSc Financial Mathematics

Police Scotland - special constables (external link)