Mahdi – Doctoral researcher in Technology

Meet Mahdi Moghaddam, a current doctoral researcher at the University of Turku and an UTUambassador 2021-2023!

"I am an Iranian interior decoration-enthusiast music performer who is doing his PhD in Doctoral Program in Technology (DPT) on Redox Flow batteries. What a mélange!

The story about how I started my journey in Finland is interesting: I was the runner-up (not the selected applicant!) for a PhD position at Aalto University. So, I accepted a PhD position at TU Wien in Austria. One week before signing the contract with TU Wien, I received an email from Aalto saying that the selected applicant refused the position, and the position was offered to me! As I had never been to Finland before, I decided to visit Finland before making any decision. Being in Finland for 48 hours was enough to make sure that Finland is my choice! The pure nature, smart cities with beautifully merged modern and old architecture, modest people, and design items aesthetically placed in every corner were more than enough for a place that one would do his PhD in!

In 2020, I moved to Turku after that my supervisor accepted a position at The University of Turku. Although at first I was reluctant about moving to a small city, it did not take long that I started to enjoy living in Turku more than living in the capital area. Turku, as a small but vibrant city, welcomes many international students and researchers from around the world. You only need to take a short walk along the beautiful Aura river in the heart of the city to raise your mood to the sky!

The University of Turku has maintained a brilliant connection with other national and international research institutions and industries that provides an efficient network for new collaborations and experiences for both students and researchers. Now I am here as an ambassador to promote this quality place and help those who are willing to know more about it. You are most welcome at the University of Turku, and we hope to see you soon!"

LinkedIn: Mahdi Moghaddam I Instagram: @mahdimoghaddam315

Mahdi's study experience

What do you study at UTU and why?

My field of research is electrochemistry which is actually a mixture of material engineering and chemical engineering. I specifically study the electron transfer reactions in Redox Flow batteries. It’s mainly an experimental field so I get to do a lot of experiments in labs, where I’d say I spend approximately 60 percent of my working time.

I did my Bachelor’s at the University of Tehran and Master’s as a dual degree, studying at universities in Tehran and in Paris. The idea of continuing to a PhD just gradually built up in my mind after doing my bachelor’s, when I had an opportunity to work in a group that was working with fuel cells. At that time, I didn’t know much about energy materials but I found it fascinating because nowadays clean energy is of interest to so many people. I started to read about energy materials, and then I found a position in Finland focusing on batteries as a clean facility for providing energy.

What are your future career plans?

When I started my PhD I became more interested in discovering more about this field of science and maybe continuing as a researcher. That way I could find out more about clean energy which is really beneficial for society when thinking about challenges such as global warming.

I have a passion for interior decoration, and I’m actually studying it in my free time to become a certified decorator. It has also given me a new perspective to look at things more visually as a researcher which has actually been very beneficial. For example, I pay more attention to the figures in my publications to make them more visually attractive.

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BLOG: The PhD Experience: Delving into doctoral studies with Mahdi Moghaddam

Mahdi – Doctoral researcher in Technology

Mahdi's study experience

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Doctoral Programme in Technology (DPT)

Studying at the Faculty of Technology