'When I applied for this Master I didn't realise it would be so internationally minded'

Constanza Pérez D'Amico is currently in Madrid writing her Master thesis. She chose the Master in Renewable Energy after studying Chemical Engineering in her home country Argentina, because she wanted to specialise in the energy transition and be able to contribute to the global energy goals.

‘In the final year of my Chemical Engineering studies, I did my thesis project on specifically biomass gasification for syngas production. During graduation, I noticed that I would like to continue working in the direction of renewable energy and I need to learn more theory about it. My current degree was quite broad, and I wanted to continue studying to specialise in renewable energy. In my home country Argentina it is not common to do a Master, so my choice to go to Europe to gain experience and knowledge was quickly made. That is how I first found EUREC and later Hanze University of Applied Sciences for this master.’ 

‘At the beginning of the first year, you start with electrical engineering. This subject was quite hard, some of the theory I had 4 years ago. Electrical Engineering was not my best area, but it helped me a lot during the rest of the year. Each subject we got in the first year was related to one of the renewable energy options. Biomass was the easiest one for me, because that was the topic of my thesis back then, solar and wind was more difficult for me.’ 

‘In the first semester me and my classmates complained a bit about the fact that the Master was not practical and applied enough, but later we understood we needed to have the theory to be able to analyse and understand the data correctly and how to apply it to real life issues and problems.‘ 

‘That I have benefited a lot from the theory I got in the first year is something I noticed during the process of writing my thesis at Aventum in Madrid. When I was introduced to the company, I noticed that I already knew a lot. When they talked about projects they are working on such as Hydrogen, biogas, syngas, etc, I could follow the story, ask questions, and understand what they answer. This gave me a lot of confidence because it makes me an equal interlocutor.’ 

‘From the very beginning the Master is super internationally minded. When I applied for the Master I did not realise it would be so international. It was super fun to go to Brussels for the introduction together with students who are doing a Master who is connected to EUREC from Germany and France. My classmates are from all over the world, and it feels like a very enriching experience. Because my classmates are from all over the world, and we were doing a lot of projects together I have learnt so much about diverse cultures.'

'My way of seeing the world and seeing people has changed because you will become more open-minded. I am now able to work with people from all over the world and I am comfortable applying for an international job. All the soft skills I have developed are as  important as all the theory I have learnt in this Master.’