Skip to main content

Sumant

Sumant comes from Chandrapur, India. He studies Medical Biotechnology and did his bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. He loves to travel to new places and explore them through his camera lens, and he also loves cooking Indian food when he feels homesick.

Why did you choose this master’s programme at KTH?

Even though I come from a chemical engineering background, I have been fascinated by biotechnology due to several electives I had taken in my bachelor's study. I decided to pursue my master's in the field of biotechnology and work in the health sector. This programme was the perfect transition for me to move into the field of biotechnology. Also, distinguished professors, technologically advanced labs, and a well-defined education plan laid out by KTH made it my first choice. The proximity to top-notch life sciences and medical facilities such as Karolinska Institute and SciLife Laboratory and having several collaborations throughout the courses also influenced my decision to be at KTH.

Have you chosen a specialisation track within the programme?

I have chosen the Medical Applications of Biotechnology track. I chose this track as I aspire to be a research scientist working in protein science with applications in medical research.

What are some of your favourite courses so far?

I have taken about eight courses so far, out of which some of my favourites are- 

  1. Advanced Microbiology and Metagenomics - This course offered exciting lab work on real-life food samples. We had to prepare a project of our own with DNA extraction and data analysis in R programming. This gave me an incredible feeling of performing a research project from scratch.
  2. Molecular Biomedicine - In this course, we studied how genomics and epigenetics work in health and disease. It gave me a lot of insights into cancer detection and treatment and the future prospects of targeted therapies. 
  3.  Proteomics - This was a notably different course with various teachings about protein studies by multiple people currently researching, which makes it unique. We also performed a project with one of state of the art techniques in protein analysis.

How is student life in Stockholm?

Student life in Stockholm is delightful due to the highly diverse community of international students. It is very vibrant and outgoing as the Swedes love their work-life balance, referred to as 'lagom' in Swedish.

You will find Stockholm to be a quiet city even though it is the largest city in Sweden. It is a huge archipelago that is relatively easy to explore due to its vast public transport network. You will definitely fall in love with Stockholm when you come here. 

How do studies at KTH differ from your previous studies?

I love KTH because it encourages students to make mistakes and learn from them. This notion has particularly helped me grow in the field and is undoubtedly a great way to learn new things. The professors are very approachable and do not shy away from spending time with you for your questions. The freedom to choose courses of interest while still being able to keep up with fundamental techniques, which change from year to year, was particularly significant. KTH professors take feedback very seriously, and therefore the courses are ever-evolving. I had fewer lecture hours than in my previous studies, but that encouraging self-study and taking enough breaks to enjoy my studies.

How would you describe your time at KTH so far?

Speaking academically, KTH has offered me multiple platforms to explore and learn without restrictions. KTH makes you feel very welcome and accommodating, which is necessary as you are an international student in a new country. It has been a very enriching experience, discovering as I go on.

What would you like to say to students thinking of choosing KTH for master's studies?

KTH is an excellent choice for your studies. I have learned much more in the past year than I ever imagined. KTH offers great opportunities whilst taking care of yourself and not being burdened with studies. As an international student here, it will surely be an eye-opening and enriching experience for you!