Erkin Najafli, a doctoral student at TalTech's Faculty of Engineering, found added value to his studies here by participating in a virtual course at the Technical University of Denmark, a EuroTeQ partner. One of the reasons for applying for the course was to gain knowledge from leading lecturers in his field.
What are you studying in TalTech?
I am a doctoral student of the Chemical and Materials Technology programme in TalTech but my main work is in the laboratory of the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics of Estonia.
What are your previous experiences in international studies?
Previously I have also studied at the University of Leicester in the UK as part of an exchange program during my bachelor's degree. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
What course did you pick and why?
I have picked the "Concepts in heterogeneous catalysis and applications to energy conversion" course from the Technical University of Denmark. As my research field is fuel cell catalyst development, I found that the course can be a great choice for me. Of course, another reason was that the Technical University of Denmark is among the top EU universities and I didn't want to miss my chance to be lectured by the leading professors in my field.
What are your first impressions and experiences?
So far my impression is very positive. The course I have chosen covers a lot of topics and can be hard to handle sometimes, but there are teaching assistants who help with difficulties. One of the best things about the course is that we learn about some of the latest developments in the field from people who are directly involved in the research.
Do you plan to take another course within the framework of EuroTeQ?
I plan to take another course next semester if I can find a suitable topic for me.
Do you recommend this opportunity to others and why?
I recommend this opportunity to everyone who would like to experience different perspectives to their field and teaching methods that can help with their understanding of complex topics. Certainly, it would be great to be there physically but even virtual participation in courses from hand-picked universities is something that is totally worth the effort.
Applying for EuroTeQ spring semester courses is open! Find a suitable course from the EuroTeQ course catalogue. It is possible to participate in BA, MA and PhD courses. EuroTeQ partner universities are the Technical University of Munich (Germany), Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands), Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), École Polytechnique (France), and Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic).
Instructions for selecting a course can be found here.