Raquel Bohn Lima

Raquel Bohn Lima

Why did you come to KTH?
I applied for a scholarship through the project EUBrazil STARTUP. This cooperation had a wide variety of academic fields at different levels of study (undergraduate, doctorate, post-doctorate and staff exchange) offered by one of the partner universities. The programme financed expenses, such as travel costs, tuition fees and insurance costs. The project is managed by a consortium of partner universities including eleven Brazilian universities and eight European universities and is coordinated by Politecnico di Torino in Italy.

I received the PhD position after a selection process and I decided to come to KTH because I have the opportunity to do the studies in English. And of course, KTH is in my area (Wood Chemistry/Energy/Material Science) and one of the best universities in the world.

How have you ended up researching Wood Chemistry/Energy?
During my Master’s studies in the Federal University of Santa Catarina (LABMAC) – Brazil, I had the opportunity to work with biomass and development of new materials. My research at KTH is focused on power generation from biomass, which to me feels like a natural and exciting “next step” from my MSc studies in Brazil.

What is it like to do research at KTH?
The research climate at KTH is the best I have ever experienced. KTH has a really good atmosphere. The campus is a beautiful place to work and I have also had the opportunity to meet a lot of good friends and important professional contacts.

Why is KTH a good university when you are looking for a research career?
KTH gives me access to advanced equipment, opportunities to learn another language free of charge, go to conferences around the world and work with people from different countries. The financial support that KTH provides to your research, such as funding for language courses and conferences makes this university very attractive for PhD students.

How is it evident that KTH has close cooperation and good relations with Brazil? How can you benefit from this?
Brazil is considered a “focus region” at KTH with a student exchange programme. KTH also has planned activities regarding the collaboration throughout the year. This gives me the opportunity to establish more contacts with Brazilians living in Sweden and extend my contact network – both personally and professionally. Since my field of research at the Fiber and Polymer Department (Wood Chemistry) is closely connected with the forest industry, which is large in Brazil, I see this collaboration very beneficial for me.

Your future plans?
Since I am living in Sweden, I am now more open to new opportunities and adventures. To work as a professor in a university in Brazil is on my wish list, but my professional dream is to work in a Swedish company that also has business in Brazil. This would enable me to have contact and cooperation between both Brazil and Sweden at the same time.

Recommendations to students in your home country that are considering KTH
I think the most important thing is to “do the homework.” You must be interacting with the area of research you want to work in and do not be afraid to contact the responsible professor. Establish a contact and report your intentions, motivations and prospects to the professor.