Electrical Engineering graduate off to Tokyo to start a new job with as Engineer with specialisation in Humanities and International Services.

Today, an Electrical Engineering graduate from Imperial College London dropped in to have coffee and say goodbye to two of his language tutors from the Centre of Languages, Culture and Communication (see photo). For on Sunday, Valerio Campelli is off to Tokyo to start a new job with as Engineer with specialisation in Humanities and International Services.

But having landed this this job is just one of his many achievements. Valerio, who has some hearing difficulties, came from Rome to London to take his degree in a foreign language - English. Not satisfied with this challenge, he joined the Imperial Horizons German programme and completed both levels 3 and 4 (up to post A-level). In 2015, he was awarded the Acland Prize, jointly with another student, for excellence in languages. Still seeking further challenges, he enrolled on a Japanese course in the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication and made swift progress. Now a graduate with a job at Transport for London, he returned to continue learning Japanese on the Evening Class programme.

A year on, he decided to take the plunge and apply for the post in Japan. ‘They gave me the job because of my ability to speak Japanese’ said Valerio, who will continue to improve his language skills while in Tokyo. ‘I want to thank the CLCC, and especially Drs Nyburg, Starr-Egger and Tokumaru who have given me great support’ he said.

We all wish Valerio the very best in his new post, and would like to say one more time how impressed we are with the determination, hard work and talent of this young man.