An interview with Haari Aswat, who won the Robert Thurston Hopkins Award for 2024.
Two years ago, trustees decided to create links with Brighton University to foster interest in the Downs from high achieving young people who could make a difference during their future careers. As part of this initiative, on 1 August two important prizes were awarded, that we are sponsoring, as part of Brighton University’s main graduation ceremony.The Robert Thurston-Hopkins award, named in honour of our founder, is for the highest-achieving BSc/BA final exam result in the Department of Geography, Earth and Environment. It was won in 2024 by Haari Aswat.Also awarded was the Richard Reed award, in memory of the thrice Chair and recently departed stalwart of the FSD. This is for the most improved BSc/BA student in 1st/2nd year in the GEE Department. This was won by Dom Jarvis.
Our trustee Janet Goody was present at the ceremony, accompanied by both Joanna Thurston Hopkins (granddaughter of RTH) and Julia Reed (Richard Reed’s daughter).
Janet and I caught up later with Haari Aswat, whose BSc was in Environmental Sciences, and he told us about himself.
Interview with Haari
Q: Where did you grow up?
Haari: In Coleorton, a village in northwest Leicestershire near Loughborough.
Q: Why did you decide to study Environmental Sciences?
Haari: The natural landscape was always important to me – my home was near two amazing places, Coleorton Wood (part of the National Forest) and Charnwood Forest Geopark. Plus, Coleorton sits in a former coal mining district, and so I became interested in the environmental challenges of all sorts of mining.
Q: Why pick Brighton University?
Haari: Firstly,I’ve always had a hankering to live near the sea. My Dad comes from Yorkshire, but my Mum is from Devon, and I have very happy memories of family holidays near the Devon coast. Also, it’s a great city for young people. And finally, the Geography, Earth and Environmental department at Brighton is, rightly, very highly regarded.
Q: What exposure did you have to the South Downs whilst in Brighton?
Haari: First year has a lot of field trips, and the memory of one visit to the Seven Sisters will stay with me for a long time. My roommate and I also enjoyed doing all-day hikes on the South Downs.
Q: What’s your view on how we should protect such landscapes?
Haari: Well, it’s important we do protect them. And the best way to encourage everyone to value their importance is to experience them directly. So, anything that can be done to enable people to do that is vital to winning the case. I’m really into rock climbing, and that has really strengthened my commitment to beautiful natural landscapes.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
Haari: I’m off to St Andrews University in a few weeks to study for an MSc in Geochemistry. Beyond that, I’m clear we will need increasing amounts of minerals like cobalt, lithium and copper to move to a low carbon world, but the challenge is to do this in a green way. It would be marvellous to have a career involved in helping to solve that puzzle.
Paul Wilkinson
Vice Chairman