Beyond the lab: How Kingston University’s Future Skills education inspired pharmaceutical student’s journey from science to innovation

When Amal Yussuf first joined Kingston University to study pharmaceutical science, she imagined her degree would lead to a linear career in drug development or research.

Three years later, the 22-year-old is now setting her sights on building robotics and computing skills to support her entrepreneurial aspirations, after developing an award-winning healthcare innovation during her studies. As she prepares to cross the stage at her Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education graduation ceremony, Amal reflected on how the University’s Future Skills approach to education had given her the confidence, mindset and practical experience to take her ideas beyond the lab and into industry.

“I wouldn’t say I was particularly enterprising before joining Kingston University, but Future Skills really pushed that forward,” she said. “I learned how to take a concept and explain it in a way others can understand – even when it’s quite scientific. That ability to communicate ideas clearly has been invaluable, and it’s shifted my thinking too.” 

Through the University’s sector-leading Future Skills programme, all undergraduate students develop and are assessed on nine graduate attributes most valued by employers, such as creative problem-solving, being enterprising and adaptability, alongside their subject-specific learning. 

A defining moment for Amal came when she took part in the annual Bright Ideas competition, which challenges Kingston University students to think entrepreneurially and apply their knowledge to practical problems, pitching their ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style format for the chance to secure funding.

Through the competition, she developed OHX, a handheld breath device to give chemotherapy patients quick, non-invasive, real-time feedback – earning her the People’s Choice Award, voted for by the audience at the event. Amal explained how her Future Skills learning had played a key role in building her confidence from the start of her course. 

“I used to be quite reserved and lacked confidence speaking in front of others, but through the ongoing support, presentations and dedicated sessions to developing these graduate attributes, I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Future Skills has helped me grow – not just academically, but personally by giving me the confidence to keep improving.”

As part of the Apply phase of the programme for final-year students, she collaborated with marketing students to pitch her idea – a patch to monitor the use of warfarin, a commonly used blood-thinning drug – to lecturers. “Working with marketing students gave me a completely different perspective,” she said. “They asked questions and brought ideas we hadn’t considered from a scientific point of view, which really helped me think about how to present and position my idea more effectively.”

She also took part in a mock assessment centre and completed a summer internship working with PhD researchers. “The simulated assessment experience was really valuable, especially as it was my first time doing one in person,” she said. “It gave me a good insight into how the process works and how to conduct myself in that environment. We also had the chance to deliver a presentation, which I really enjoyed – presenting to people I hadn’t met before helped build my confidence.”

Reflecting on her career ambitions as she prepares to graduate, Amal outlined how she wants to explore developing a business while gaining experience in robotics and computing to complement her pharmaceutical science background. The Future Skills she had developed has also given her the tools to explore how best to turn research ideas into viable opportunities that could solve key societal challenges, she said.

“My approach to research has really changed – I’m still interested in it, but I’m now much more focused on how ideas can be applied to achieve outcomes that can benefit society and that are commercially viable. Future Skills has helped me think more broadly about the impact of what I do, beyond a narrow academic mindset,” she said.

“Keeping my options open doesn’t feel daunting – I feel confident in my ability to adapt and take opportunities as they come. It’s made me feel excited about what comes next and encouraged me to take my ideas seriously and explore how they could develop into something of my own, including a potential business.”

• Kingston University’s summer graduations will take place from 21 – 30 July. 
• Find out more about the University’s Future Skills approach to education.