MAP student received CRC 1411 Equal Opportunity Fellowship
My name is Zarifa Huseynova, I am from Azerbaijan and I am a first year MAP student at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg. I graduated from the French-Azerbaijani University, which is a joint degree programme of ASOIU (Azerbaijan State Oil) and the University of Strasbourg, with a distinction diploma. During my studies, I was involved in multiple research projects on different topics such as “Milk powder production”, “Production of biomethane from lignocellulosic biomass”, and finally, I did my final year research project on “The effects of impurities on aluminum and copper wire rods”. I was able to conduct this research paper thanks to the summer internship that I did as a quality control engineer at Sumgait Technologies Park (STP). I was assigned to the metallurgy section, where I worked in the laboratory analyzing the contents of copper and aluminum metals for impurities that were harmful to the material properties. The experience at STP enabled me to improve my practical skills in cable production processes as well as gain insight into material science. After that, I completed a one-month internship at the Azerbaijan Institute of Food Safety, where I conducted several chemical tests and analyzes on various food groups and acquired the fundamental principles of gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography, such as pesticide determination in fruit and vegetables using LC-MS.
When I first encountered the CRC 1411 Equal Opportunity Fellowship for pursuing a Master’s degree at FAU , I was very curious about the programme and what it offered and applied without much expectations. The fact that it is only for female students demonstrated that they were willing to make a commitment to women in STEM fields. I had always wanted to contribute to research and development as an engineer, but I had little experience in this area, hence I was not very confident. I was honestly very surprised and honored to win the fellowship. With this scholarship, I would have the opportunity to collaborate with highly experienced researchers and gain crucial knowledge and abilities with their assistance. Viewing the topics both theoretically and experimentally would undoubtedly strengthen my research and analytical skills assisting me in developing as a future candidate in R&D for the advancement of new technologies. I am exposed to various research works and current developments of the CRC 1411, that I would not be able to know about otherwise. The friendly atmosphere and ready to help attitude is an additional aspect of the programme that I am very grateful for. Being a part of such an innovative institution is honestly a great opportunity for my future career. I am sure that the fellowship programme will play an essential role in shaping my professional career.
By MAP student Zarifa Huseynova (matriculation group 2022)