Kolkata graduate reaches finals of UK's most challenging TV quiz
Sourajit Debnath, a 31-year-old computational science graduate from Kolkata, has made it to the final round of 'University Challenge', one of the UK's most challenging television quiz competitions. As part of a four-member team from Imperial College London, Debnath is set to compete against University College London (UCL) in the grand finale to be aired on April 8. The Indian scholar has been featured in promotional clips for the show this week, answering complex bonus questions on BAFTA-winning video games.
Honored to be a part of the team: Debnath
Debnath expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the long-standing British quiz show. "I feel honored to have been given a chance to be part of the history of this long-running British institution," he said. He also shared insights into his role within the Imperial College team, covering areas such as math, physics, general science, and pop culture on the humanities side.
Debnath's journey from space research to quiz show
Notably, he was a space scientist at UR Rao Space Centre, the spacecraft-making arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), where he worked on the 2019 Indian lunar lander/rover mission Chandrayaan-2. He then moved to the United Kingdom (UK), to persue a Master's in Applied Computational Science and Engineering at Imperial College London. Post-graduation, he joined an Imperial start-up working on geophysics algorithms based at the university's Royal School of Mines.
Debnath's experience as an international student in UK
Reflecting on his experience studying in the UK, Debnath shared that while the country is friendly and welcoming for students, securing funding for doctoral programs can be challenging for overseas citizens. His journey from India to the UK has led him to become a key player in one of Britain's most rigorous quiz competitions, 'University Challenge', presented by British Indian broadcaster Amol Rajan.
