Interview with Aleksandar Karajic, PhD student in physical chemistry in the AMADEus Cluster
PhD student in physical chemistry, in the AMADEus Cluster. Aleksandar came from Serbia in 2012 for his PhD thesis, in the Groupe NanoSystèmes Analytiques, (ISM - Institut des Sciences Moléculaires - UMR 5255 CNRS - Université de Bordeaux – ENSCBP). He talked to us about his PhD thesis at the University, and his life in Bordeaux.
Why did you choose Bordeaux for your PhD Thesis?
When I finished my master studies in chemistry at the University of Belgrade, I saw an opportunity to continue my education at the University of Bordeaux. At that moment, there was an opened PhD position at the NSYSA group (ISM) in the frame of AMADEus project (Cluster of Excellence of the University of Bordeaux) under the supervision of Prof. Alexander Kuhn (ISM) and Dr. Nicolas Mano (CRPP). This University is well-known for the good Material Science and some teams are very famous in electrochemistry. Moreover, there is a good synergy in between these two fields, which globally fulfilled my scientific interests.
How is your PhD thesis here?
Every country has its own particularities about PhD system; in AMADEus project a full network of collaborations exist between the participating laboratories. This is in my opinion of essential importance for the quality and success of multidisciplinary projects such as AMADEus. Recently I was shortly involved, as a guest fellow, in the European BIOENERGY where our groups take part. In general, scientific collaborations present the best way toward success. Therefore NSYSA pays particular attention on building bridges with different partners for example the University of Belgrade, the University of Venice, the University of Bologna, the University of Southampton etc.
One of the main advantages of being part of AMADEuss-LabEx is the opportunity to further develop personal and scientific skills through the participation at international conferences, inter lab meetings and exchange programs.
How is your life in Bordeaux since you arrived and in the University?
At the University, all necessary documents were already prepared when I arrived, so I didn’t have to waste too much time on that. Also, I was contacted by the WCIR and it was very surprising that such facility for foreigners exist at the University. In general I enjoy living here. There is always something happening and the life is quite dynamic! It is not just about the science so I found a lot of ways to relax myself, for example by cycling, visiting some wine castles, neighboring towns, enjoying the nature. Of course, I have chosen Bordeaux for my further professional development, but beside that everyday life is also very nice here.