Gratitude is extended to the distinguished guest speakers who shared their expertise during webinars, enriching the learning experience for all. Appreciation also goes to the students for their dedication and hard work, and to the broader community for continued support throughout the year.

As the year closes, this newsletter celebrates milestones, recognises graduates, and looks ahead to exciting developments in 2026.

Celebrating a Major Milestone

One of the most significant achievements this year was receiving full global accreditation for BHA School of Lighting and our courses from the European Association for Higher Education Accreditation (EAHEA).

After a rigorous process involving additional documentation and a thorough audit of our courses, e-learning systems, grading methods, assessments, examinations, and financial statements, we were thrilled to score 87.5%.

On 27 August 2025, EAHEA granted us global accreditation across 170 countries — a proud moment for our entire team!

New Value Add-Ons for Advanced Diploma Students

As part of our commitment to delivering exceptional value and professional readiness, students enrolled in the Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering & Lighting Design course now receive exclusive benefits since September 2025:

Autodesk Product Value Add-Ons:
Free access to two industry-leading Autodesk software packages:

• AutoCAD (valued at USD 2,095 per year)
• Revit (valued at USD 3,005 per year)
  These tools are widely used in architecture and engineering, representing a combined software value of USD 5,100 per student.

Relux Desktop Third Party License Value Add-On:
Through our partnership with Relux, all enrolled students receive a Relux Third Party Licence for the full duration of their enrolment, valued at approximately USD 84 per student. This ensures students gain hands-on experience with professional lighting design software.

Recognising Our Graduates

Congratulations to all our graduates — you make us proud!

Advanced Diploma in Illumination Engineering & Lighting Design

• Aris De Vrye – Edenvale, South Africa
• Ismael Alobaidi – Baghdad, Iraq
• Jaroslaw Otremba – Jozefow, Poland
• Justice Limithemba Bhengu – Durban, South Africa
• Shadi Abdelsalam Habeb – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Foundation Lighting Course

• Anthony Gergis – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Chiara Wagenaar – Meyerton, South Africa
• Fatma Bayomi – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Gaila Tulusiene – Kaunas, Lithuania
• Kamal Nady George – Cairo, Egypt
• Karthik Kothandaraman – Chennai, India
• Lina Adel Mohamed – Cairo, Egypt
• M. Moumitha – Chennai, India
• Muhammed Shirin – Kerala, India
• Mxolisi Brian Ndumo – Katlehong, South Africa
• Rishi Roopnarain – Johannesburg, South Africa
• Sabeel Uz-Zama – Damman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Sara Mohammed – Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Srishti Anand – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Syed Raed Ahmed – Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
• Viswanathan Muthurakoom – Chennai, India

Relux Desktop Software Course

• Edward Baldrey – Hitara Park, South Africa
• Jacobus Loubscher – Durban, South Africa

Enlightened Community Webinars: Sharing Knowledge Globally

In 2025, we hosted 10 educational webinar sessions from February to November, featuring distinguished international expert speakers:

• 20 February – The Future is Bright: Modern Lighting Opportunities Unveiled – Philip Hammond, South Africa
• 20 March – Amazing Realm of Colour: How It Impacts Our Lives & Lighting Design – Philip Hammond, South Africa
• 22 May – Illuminating the Future: How Light Drives Innovation & Society – Philip Hammond, South Africa
• 19 June – Lighting for Tomorrow – David Gilbey, United Kingdom
• 17 July – The Growing Role of Controls & What It Means for Lighting Professionals – Henk Rotman, South Africa
• 21 August – Light Alchemy: Turning Interiors into Experiences – Tripti Sahni, India
• 18 September – Crafting Light, Respecting Darkness: The Role of the Darkness Designer – Francesco Gaustella, Milan
• 16 October – Generative AI Workflows in Lighting Design: Present Realities, Future Horizons – Faraz Izhar, Dubai
• 20 November – Advocating a Salutogenic Approach to Lighting – Dr Amardeep M. Dugar, India

A heartfelt thank you to all presenters for sharing their expertise and insights.

If you missed any sessions and would like to recap the presentations, visit our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@bhaschooloflighting.

BHA Educators in the Global Lighting Community

2025 was not only a year of academic achievement but also one of active participation in the global lighting community by BHA educators.

Philip Hammond, Founder and Principal of BHA School of Lighting, served as a mentor for the prestigious Silhouette Awards Mentorship Programme. This international initiative celebrates emerging talent in the lighting industry by pairing rising professionals with experienced mentors. Through this programme, Philip guided Lally Widelska, offering insights and support to help shape her career in lighting design. The Silhouette Awards are recognised globally for fostering growth, creativity, and leadership among the next generation of lighting professionals.

Daniel Hammond contributed as a judge for the Lux Futurum Awards, a forward-thinking recognition programme that honours future-oriented concepts, products, and projects in the lighting industry. The awards are organised by the Virtual Lighting Design Community (VLDC) in collaboration with the Zhu Rong team, and this year’s focus was on innovation and sustainability — highlighting ideas that will shape the future of lighting. Daniel worked alongside leading industry experts in a rigorous selection process to identify and celebrate the most visionary entries—a truly enriching experience that reinforced BHA’s commitment to global excellence and thought leadership.

Looking Ahead to 2026

• Curriculum Updates: Major revisions to First-Year and Second-Year modules in the Advanced Diploma course, including cutting-edge content on AI in lighting design.
• New Emergency Lighting Course: We are introducing a completely new curriculum for the Emergency Lighting Course, which will include all international standards for lighting design to ensure global compliance and best practices.
• Student Support: Continued FREE Online Student Support Sessions (first Wednesday of each month) and Relux Desktop Support Group hosted by Daniel.
• Mentorship: Ongoing free mentorship for students needing personal guidance.

We’re committed to maintaining our reputation for world-class student support and innovative learning.

Thank You and Festive Wishes

Our heartfelt thanks go to every student and reader for your unwavering support, active participation in webinars, and the thoughtful contributions you’ve shared throughout the year. Your engagement and commitment inspire us to keep raising the bar and delivering excellence in lighting design education.

We wish you a joyful festive season, happy holidays and a blessed new year!

With best regards,
The BHA School of Lighting Team.

New YouTube Video: ADVOCATING A SALUTOGENIC APPROACH TO LIGHTING with Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar

We’re excited to share our newest YouTube video, where Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar of Lighting Research & Design, describes lighting design strategies that lean towards salutogenesis beginning with the need for such an approach, the next steps towards implementing such strategic and tactical solutions, and the challenges of adopting such a broad and innovative strategy to improve health, well-being and performance.