Statement of Purpose

Akashatha Shetty
Statement of Purpose
The twentieth century, being the ‘Era of Urbanization’, has thrust a massive responsibility on the
shoulders of civil engineers to keep the ball rolling for innovation and planning in urban
infrastructure. By 2050, urban residency across the globe has an increased projected target of
68%. A figure like such makes you think about the domino effect of every civil engineering
aspirant across the world, such as myself. In my endeavor to pursue a Masters in Urban Planning
and Design, I write this statement of purpose in veneration to the department of Urban Planning
at the esteemed Monash University to consider my candidacy.
My ambitions were cemented after I moved to Dubai in 2006, a city transformed from a desert
backwater to a builder’s paradise, where mammoth strides in architecture and infrastructure
have proven to be the foundation for not only its robust tourism industry, but also heritage and
posterity, interwoven into its skyline. Once a barren land, Dubai is now fertile with the
unparalleled visionaries that have built this city from the ground in less than 50 years. With
skyscrapers emerging through the clouds, I realized the sky is truly the limit.
Years down the line, I moved to India to pursue my undergraduate degree, where I realized the
circumstantial nature of Civil Engineering. On top of the stark difference in infrastructure, social
and economic disparities between India and Dubai were hard to ignore. Although a developing
country, India has staggering income inequality, which is primarily evident in the incongruence
between the bustling metropolitan cities and the suburbs. Growing up around the extravagantly
outrageous engineering feats in Dubai, I imagined seeing my work immortalized in its skyline
someday. But as I further delved into the technicalities of the explosive populations and urban
planning on limited ground, I began to gravitate towards a more functional and feasible outlook,
still equally outrageous in conception. Ergo, during my four years in India, I discerned my
primary dream of planning and laying out the infrastructure for underdeveloped and developing
cities. If everything goes right, maybe one day my designs and planning can cause ripple effects
leading to exponential economic growth and urbanization for a city built from scratch.
My undergraduate education comprised of Structural Design, Construction Management and
the whole nine yards of civil engineering; however, throughout the eight semesters, Urban
Transportation Systems stood out from the rest. This subject made its mark on me as I
understood the intricacies and influence of socio-economic factors in Civil Engineering.
Infrastructure aside, traffic in India is a beast of its own. The influx of jobs in Information
Technology and manufacturing industries have been targeted towards one or two
neighborhoods in the major metropolitan cities. This has resulted in a centralized layout of
transportation, causing choke points towards which most of the commuters are directed. This
subsequently causes stagnant and inefficient transit, which is exacerbated by the severe
monsoon season in the region. Not to mention, this same system has been scaffolding India’s
population, which has tripled since 1969 now standing at 1.3billion. Having studied Urban
Transportation Systems helped me gauge what my career holds for me and exactly where I
should direct my potential. My ambition is to affiliate with a project team that works across such
multi-disciplinary boundaries. I wish to gain further insights into how planning and engineering
skills can work in unison to develop solutions to infrastructural barriers across global locations
with variable social and economic foundations. With an inevitable growing population, the role
of civil engineers prove to be indispensable.
During my undergraduate education, I completed three internships with various construction
and real estate development firms across India and Dubai. Since graduating, I have been working
as a Junior Quantity Surveyor for a contracting firm in Dubai. In the course of my professional
experience, I have been responsible for analyzing the cost of projects with variable goals and
budgets, both residential and commercial. Due to the practical nature of performing daily
cost-benefit analyses across multiple projects, I have developed a niche analytical approach
towards my work. Besides the technical and controlled demands, the interpersonal nature of my
role has focused me towards liaising and delivering deadlines as efficiently as possible, with
various industries, contractors, and government bureaucrats. I am grateful for the perspective I
gained during my time in India, the enlightening education at Manipal Institute of Technology,
as well as the industrial experience that followed.
I believe that before I take the next step in my career, it is absolutely necessary for me to arm
my arsenal with a graduate degree from Monash University. Apart from being ranked as one of
the top universities in the world, the programs at Monash University has facilities that are
second to none. I firmly believe that the teaching and learning experience at Monash University
will help me graduate as a qualified professional planner equipped with all the necessary
acumen and practical skills. During my potential years at Monash University, I plan to learn
about the nooks and crannies of urban layouts across variable topographies, which in
combination with my academic foundation and technical acumen would equip me with refined
abilities and skills for a career in Urban Planning.
Furthermore, studying in Australia would be a stepping stone for my future goals as it not only
enjoys an international reputation for excellence in all aspects of education but it also offers a
practical and career oriented training which would help enhance my skills. Apart from the high
quality of education, Australia has a diverse multicultural community reflected in the country’s
food, high quality of life, and its kaleidoscope of cultures.

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Akashatha Shetty

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