Discover the researcher in you, make your scientific dreams come true
We are PhD students at Wrocław Tech
After finishing my master’s degree, I wasn’t convinced about a PhD. Studying for a second degree was such an intense time that I felt the need to take a “breather” to bring more balance into my life. But… the passion for research did not give me a break! And I finally made up my mind. Especially since I was able to take part in a program that involved trips to top research centers. And it was a good decision.
I’m doing a unique and demanding scientific project, I’m taking advantage of the many opportunities offered by the Doctoral School and our Department, I have research internships in Los Angeles and Singapore, I’m teaching students, etc. – but I still manage to maintain a balance. Anyway, I live in Kudowa on a daily basis, and I have arranged everything so that I can come to Wroclaw on selected days, and on the other days, I work remotely.
Which does not at all mean that I am missing out on something. I work in an ambitious team – we are constantly looking for grant opportunities and developing cooperation with centers in Poland and abroad. My promoters motivate me, push me to act, and inspire me. And they often say that you have to try, and you don’t have to be the best at something right away. It is necessary to start, to set a course of action, a path that can be taken later by others – that is, to simply “plant a flag” and point out: “we did it first, and now we will develop this topic, if you want, join”.
I’m hugely motivated by the fact that as part of my doctorate, I’m working on a unique topic that no one has taken up yet. Among other things, I am using machine learning techniques to recognize emotions in everyday life from physiological signals. So, I’m combining computer science and psychology in my research, and that requires a lot from me. I’m constantly learning new things, looking for a common language for engineers and psychologists, and exploring new paths. I feel that I am creating something completely new. And on top of that, my research and the dataset I’ve collected are of great interest to the scientific community. This is motivating!
Computer science and psychology? Yes, I combine distant worlds
What drives me? The fact that we’re doing incredible things! We’re searching for answers to questions that no one has answered before. And when we finally succeed – it’s a great satisfaction.
Of course, it’s not always easy. Research takes time. There are moments of exhaustion and discouragement. But then, after weeks or months of work, your results get published in a prestigious scientific journal – with your work on the cover! That’s an incredible feeling of pride and distinguishment. I wouldn’t trade it for Fruit Thursdays or other corporate perks. That’s just not my world.
I have a traveller’s spirit – I want to see and experience as much as possible. And if I can combine that with working alongside top researchers from other institutions, what more could I ask for? That’s why I pleased that a PhD at our Doctoral School comes with so many opportunities for international collaboration. We’re encouraged to attend international conferences, supported in applying for grants to fund research stays and internships. We get to be part of European and global research teams. Within our School, there are also programs that allow us to carry out a part of our research at another institution.
I’ve presented my results in Spain and France, where I also carried out research. The same goes for Portugal, and soon, I am going to take part in conferences in Sweden and the UK. And I only wish I was younger – because our university is now working on a dual PhD program. That means earning a degree from not just one, but two universities – ours and an international partner from the Unite! University network.
If I only focused on my PhD research, I’d probably burn out quickly. Luckily, I’m part of a dynamic research team where there’s always something happening. I engage in various research topic, teaching, and science popularisation projects – not just to grow professionally, but also to do things which I genuinely love. My field, semiconductor physics, has a vast range of applications, so I collaborate with institutions like the Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, the University of Economics in Katowice, the Silesian University of Technology, and multiple teams at my own university. And the deeper I dive into this world, the more excited I get!
I do in science what excites me
You can get exactly as much as you want and need out of your PhD for yourself. If you’re like me, you’ll non-stop get into new projects, test more research ideas, get involved, travel, organize, and so on. And you will find great satisfaction in doing so. But if you prefer to realize yourself mainly in the lab and focus primarily on research and publishing – that’s great too! The most important thing is to do what you really like. In the end, a PhD is time for you and it’s your decision how you use it.
I myself am one of those people who will not sit still. My calendar is always full. And if by some miracle I suddenly have no plans, my head is already working. It’s figuring out what else I could do, what I could get involved in, what I could learn. And it’s no different on a PhD.
For example, I take advantage of academic travel opportunities – summer and winter schools or internships. I’ve been to Vienna, Grenoble and Darmstadt, among others, and I’m currently conducting six months of research in Marseille as a fellow of the National Academic Exchange Agency program.
I’ve also become heavily involved in, among other things, the local government, i.e. our Doctoral Students’ Council. There is always a lot going on at our place! Anyway, the kind of community we create makes us, doctoral students at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, very distinctive. Our events gather a lot of interested people, which shows that we manage to create a close-knit community. We meet, for example, at the PhD Student Rally, which is a combination of integration and a scientific symposium, or we talk about our research at the PhD Fest, to which we also invite those starting their doctorates. They can then meet senior colleagues to ask about their experiences and tips.
It’s also great that at PWr you can really count on the support of other PhD students – inside and outside your team. This helps a lot at the start.
Doctoral studies are the time for you. Squeeze it out to the maximum!
The advantages of a doctorate? I am the one who decides in what direction I want to develop, what experiences I want to gain, what topics I want to explore. It’s my choice – supported by a promoter who suggests various possibilities to me, directs me to the right places, shares tips, but imposes absolutely nothing. We have a partnership relationship.
A PhD is also a huge motivation for me to try new things. Not only in the lab, but maybe especially outside the lab. I think I have more frequent opportunities to get “out of my bubble” than if I worked for a company and focused mainly on tasks to be done and results to be “proved.” Meanwhile, I learn how to write grants, go to conduct some of my research abroad, and collaborate with researchers from major research centers in Europe and the US. Maybe it’s a truism, but such meetings – at conferences, internships or research group meetings – give me a lot. And they allow me to open myself to interesting collaborations.
I sometimes encounter the stereotype that working on a doctorate is a few years of focusing on some narrow slice of one’s scientific discipline. And that we mostly read or write scientific articles related to that slice. It amuses me a lot, because it has little to do with my everyday life. The topic of my doctorate is interdisciplinary, so I also benefit from the support of an assistant promoter, a scientist from Portugal. This fact alone makes me collaborate with specialists from different fields. On top of that, my topic is experimental – for example, I conduct strength tests, operate various machines, and take measurements. I learn to work with new equipment and stations. And when I need to “enter” more broadly, for example, in the subject of automation or mechanical testing, the great thing is that in I can count on the help of other researchers from the team of which I am a part. So I learn from them as well. A PhD doesn’t allow you to stand still.
PhD? Motivation to try new things
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Online meeting, April 1, 2025, 17:00 CET. Everything you've wanted to know about a PhD at Wrocław University of Science and Technology