January 16, 2015, by Deepa Kumari Veerasingam

U21 Travel Prize – Short Term Research Visit

This post is contributed by Renu Geetha Bai, a third year PhD student from the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

 

The Universitas 21 (U21) scholarship supported my visit to The University of Melbourne, Australia. This visit was a very fruitful opportunity in my research life and I really thank the Graduate School for the U21 scholarship funding.  This visit delivered a proper platform to discuss the research and the relevance of my research in the current research scenario. It gave opportunity to discuss my research with another U21 university – The University of Melbourne, which is situated in another continent which was a very valuable experience. This opportunity provided hands on experience in sonochemical synthesis approach of nanomaterials where ultrasonic techniques were focused for synthesising nanomaterials for different applications. The anticipated benefits of this short term visit were to enhance the professional and personal development and thus widening my research networks and I am really happy about the output of this research visit as expected. In The University of Melbourne my host research team was sonochemical research group from the faculty of science where Prof Muthupandian Ashokkumar is the team head.  After the discussion with Prof Ashokkumar, I decided to start a short term project which is planned for the duration of 4 weeks. The experimental work in the lab along with the other research students gave a real exposure to the research they are involved in. These experiences really contributed to new research ideas to implement in my research. I had to undergo their safety exams to access the laboratory facilities which help me to analyse the safety standards and the lab practices in another university. The weekly research discussions with the fellow researchers in the research group have broadened my perspectives about the research field. I selected a short project on gold nanoparticle synthesis by ultrasonication technology. Within the period of 4 weeks I was able to do some remarkable findings in the short project which I planned to continue in the University of Nottingham after the U21 visit. Moreover, the colourful culture of Melbourne, scenic beauty of the places, the hospitality of the natives, new foods, arts, travel experiences all this made this visit a worthy experience to my life.

By receiving U21 Travel Price I could be a part of one of the best universities in Australia, The University of Melbourne which have helped me in the following ways to improve my skills:

• Research management – The research group of Prof Ashokkumar is one of the leading  sonochemical teams in the world. The experience to interact and share my research to that research team has positively influenced me to establish a proper collaborative work in terms of a new project which is the ultrasonic synthesis of gold nanoparticles. The short term project in 4 weeks and discussion and future plans in the final week have really helped me to manage my time, plan project, solve experimental problems etc. It really changed my perspective of research.
• Personal effectiveness – The travel experience to Australia was really helpful to enhance my confidence. It was a great exposure to involve in a different country which involves a mixed culture. Time management, communication skills, self-management and thus self-confidence all these are the positive impacts to my personal effectiveness.
• Communication – This short term attachment gave opportunity to discuss the research ideas and applications of ultrasonic technology in the development and the application studies of nanomaterials. The novelty and the application possibilities of the work which I have done in the University of Melbourne have shown a good potential to continue with a proper study for a research paper which could strengthen the existing collaboration between the research groups in both Nottingham University and Melbourne University. The opportunities to be a part of the research presentation have given opportunity to think out of the box about my research area and gave some valuable inputs to improve my work.
• Teamwork and networking – Networking opportunities were really encouraged in the research team as had weekly group discussions. After the presentations and discussions there were group dinners which helped the informal interactions with the colleagues which strengthen the bonding between researchers. Thus I received formal and informal opportunities to interact and network with different researchers. The post-doctoral researchers especially Dr Mei Fang and the PhD students Mr Enricco Colombo and Ms Adah Yusof were very helpful with their valuable suggestions and supports during the experiments. The overall experience from the University was very supportive to nurture networking. The sonochemical research team in the faculty of science is global and diverse with people from Australia, Italy, china, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka.
• Career management –This research visit was a good platform to discuss the research, its implications and significance. The continuation of the research in UNMC and idea of communicating this work as a research paper  will definitely lead to a successful collaboration which could be helpful for the post-doctoral research options or career management.

The U21 supported research visit gave a suitable platform for me to experience the concept of working in a global perspective. The interpersonal skills developed will definitely reflect in my further research and Teaching and Research duties. The communication skills and networking skills have to be maintained to keep up an active networking, to ensure the research management and the career management. In a nutshell, all these skills will contribute to my current research to acquire my goals in personal and professional life, future research and career planning in a better and efficient way.

 

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn