One of the many reasons for me to choose studying in Aalto University was the freedom of getting multi-disciplinary education. Flexibility in selecting the courses with the time that best suits your needs, as well as the state of the art of research culture were also major reasons for choosing my master鈥檚 studies.
I was always interested in structural health monitoring studies. One summer internship later I was introduced to a fascinating and yet challenging material of ice which ended up being my master鈥檚 thesis and, as it would happen, the topic of my doctoral studies too.
Ice is a very complicated material to work on. We are trying to study the causes of ice fracture and its effect on the design of marine offshore structures in the arctic region. For this, we are employing computer vision along with conventional fracture mechanics.
I think that the job of a researcher is very similar to job of a painter. One blank canvas and the sky is the limit. Being a researcher, I have the freedom to expand my research in any way possible, whether that means indulging into deep mathematics, designing complex experiments or thinking of some new method for data analysis. I feel that being a researcher sets you free, you can really think of something out of the box.
A regular day at work for me involves anything from working in cold room conducting experiments, or analyzing the current data to getting stuck with new problems. In the future I would like to continue working in academia and take this research towards the solution of more crucial matter- impact of global warming on Arctic sea ice.
My advice for new students is the same thing my advisor told me: 鈥淚f you really want to learn, take at least one step out of your comfort zone!鈥. Get the most out of freedom that you get at Aalto University and learn new things.
In Mechanical Engineering Master鈥檚 Programme you can become an expert in Arctic Technology, Engineering Materials, Marine Technology, Mechatronics, Product Development, Production Engineering and Solid Mechanics, or create your own combination. We empower students follow their interests in the field of mechanical engineering as their professional skills are needed for creating more effective and safe solutions for the society.
