Patrick
Patrick is a 23-year-old Canadian who just recently moved to Stockholm for his master's in Railway Engineering at KTH main campus. He comes with a background in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, in Canada’s capital. During his bachelor’s he became an avid boulderer and runner having just completed his first full marathon a couple months ago. He maintains the Canadian tradition of playing hockey and even brought his gear to Sweden so he can play during his studies! Beyond sports, he enjoys hanging out with his friends and embracing all that life has to throw at him.
Why did you choose this master’s programme at KTH?
I chose to study in Railway Engineering at KTH because the programme finds itself at the intersection of everything I find interesting with engineering; whether that be mechanical design, sustainable development, or simply the technical way of thinking. Having grown up in North America where public transit investment falls behind compared to most of Europe, I became passionate about how rail could be used to reimagine mobility in a sustainable and environmental way. As I grew up, the importance of the sustainability aspect became increasingly apparent. This is what led me here to KTH. Getting to study at a leading technical university where they prioritize responsible and green development in a program directly aligned with my interests is an opportunity that I had to seize. Beyond the sustainability aspect, I want to work on designing the trains themselves. This program allows me to gain an understanding of the entire railway ecosystem rather than merely focusing on the trains. Ultimately, I hope this allows me to be a more complete and well-rounded engineer that can help push innovation to the next level thanks to everything I learned during my time here at KTH.
What are the best aspects of your programme?
My favourite aspect of the Railway Engineering programme is the amount of in-person experience we get. In my first semester, I’ve had a class where every week we go in the field and learn directly from industry experts on various aspects of the profession. For example, in only the second week, we visited Alstom, a world leading railway design firm, to learn about signalling systems. We got to see first-hand the various signalling equipment used by railways around the world. Another great aspect of the programme is its size. We are an extremely small but tight-knit group which makes a real difference when working on assignments, projects, and navigating the different classes.
Have you chosen a specialisation track within the programme?
The master's in Railway Engineering is itself a specialisation. It’s a track of Vehicle Engineering focusing on railways as a whole. By choosing this programme, you are automatically choosing the specialisation. I chose it because I want to design rolling stock and ultimately decided that having strong understanding of the entire railway system would help me become a well-rounded candidate.
How is student life in Stockholm?
The best way to describe it is: lively. A big fear of mine when coming here was the difficulty of making new friends and feeling isolated. However, with the help of THS and the KTH chapters, in my case the T-Chapter, there has not been a single day where I have felt alone or like I had no one to talk to! There are activities and events going on almost every day. On the days where there are no official events you can almost always organize a hangout with friends. Ultimately, most international students come here with little to no friends and leave with lifetime connections. I think that is the best way to summarize the student life here in Stockholm.
What do you want to do after graduating?
After graduating I want to work on designing rolling stock for a large company like Siemens or Alstom. Working for a large multi-national company like those would give me a lot of flexibility to work and travel across the world which is something I want to prioritize in the earlier years of my career. Long-term I hope to be able to help shape the next generation of sustainable and high-performance trains.
What would you like to say to students thinking of choosing KTH for master’s studies?
I could not recommend studying here enough. As someone who had never lived outside of Canada before this move, I had many fears and apprehensions towards studying here. However, within minutes of arriving on campus and meeting students and staff alike, all my worries disappeared. Getting the opportunity to study at a world class technical university is an opportunity you should absolutely seize. Whether you are a Stockholm native or student coming from across the world like me, you will instantly feel at home and will adore studying here. If KTH is on your list, don’t hesitate to come; you will not regret it.