Students from the MSc Programme and Project Management course at WMG, University of Warwick, recently had the unique opportunity to visit the HS2 Central 1 site, one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects currently underway in the UK. Delivered by Align JV, this section of HS2 Phase One includes the 16km Chiltern Tunnel and the 3.4km Colne Valley Viaduct, both of which students were able to see first-hand on site, just west of London.
The visit formed part of the Project Management in Practice (PMiP) module, where students are encouraged to engage with live, complex projects and gain exposure to large-scale delivery environments. For many, it was their first chance to explore such a vast infrastructure site in person, observing the logistical, environmental, and stakeholder challenges involved in real-time project execution.
Led by Dr David Pontin, Dr Lydia Adigun, Dr Georgios Kapogiannis, and Dr Dennis Chapman, the industrial visit aimed to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application. Students were able to ask questions directly to representatives from HS2 and Align JV, gaining insight into how project methodologies and systems thinking are implemented at this level of delivery.
“It’s one thing to study Earned Value Management or stakeholder governance in a classroom,” one student commented, “but hearing how these are actually applied on a multi-billion-pound project like HS2—and being able to ask the people doing it—really made it click. It brought the theory to life.”
Students also reflected on themes such as systems integration, risk mitigation, supply chain complexity, and environmental sustainability—all core topics within the PMiP module and wider MSc curriculum.
Reflecting on the value of the visit, Dr Georgios Kapogiannis said:
“For students to see a programme of this magnitude—while being able to engage directly with those delivering it—transforms how they perceive their own learning. It inspires a shift from textbook theory to strategic thinking under real-world constraints.”
We would like to thank our colleagues—Dr Pontin, Dr Adigun, and Dr Kapogiannis—for their collaboration in organising the visit, and offer our sincere thanks to Align JV and HS2 for generously hosting us on site. The insights gained by our students will continue to inform their thinking and research well beyond the classroom.
This visit underscores WMG’s commitment to delivering industry-connected, applied education, ensuring students are equipped to become reflective, effective, and forward-thinking project professionals.