I participated in the IAMU Student Forum 2023 in London, engaging in the opening ceremony, the ‘Greener Shipping’ workshop, and the technical tour.
During the forum, the collision of ideas among participants from 34 different countries highlighted the advantage of diverse cultural backgrounds. Throughout the workshop, Prof. Paul Szwed, our facilitator, demonstrated inspiring teaching methods with patience and guidance. Additionally, I discussed the possibility of applying to foreign universities with Prof. Vera Zhang from the University of Tasmania. This series of events lifted my spirits and motivated me to take the step towards applying for a graduate program overseas.
After the forum, I reached out to professors in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries. Following a few rounds of interviews, I received a Direct-PhD offer from the Center for Power Electronics Systems at Virginia Tech, recognized as one of the world’s best power electronics research labs. In my graduate research, I will be working on energy processing technologies, aligning with the goals of SDG7, a target our workshop group aimed to achieve during the workshop.
In the end, I would like to express my gratitude to IAMU for organizing this event, providing a platform for intellectual exchange among participants from various universities. The forum gave us a chance to explore more possibilities and contributed significantly to our growth as future maritime professionals.
