What Lara says about the Master's in Sustainable Energy Engineering

Lara from Germany

Where are you doing your degree project?

"I am doing my degree project in Bhutan. It’s a small country north of India and south of the Tibet province."

What is your topic and why is it relevant?

"I came here to work with solar food drying. The goal is to reduce farmer’s post-harvest losses by developing an affordable solar-driven food dryer for the Himalayan region. Bhutan is a developing country and also the most mountainous country in the world. Economics rely heavily on agriculture and most farms are located in very remote areas with limited infrastructure. Therefore, it is important to come up with new ideas to help farmers preserve their harvest and extend the products’ shelf lives. The thesis is part of a project that was started a few years back and I am trying to further improve the solar dryer’s design and make the drying process more uniform. I’m hoping I can turn bananas into delicious banana chips." 

How did you end up doing this project?

"After I took my first course on solar photovoltaics, I got very interested in the topic. So, I reached out to my professor Henrik Davidsson and asked him about potential Master's thesis topics. When he told me about this project in Bhutan and Nepal, I was instantly curious, and the idea has been in my mind ever since. I still can’t believe it actually worked out and I get to experience this inspiring country." 

What is it like to do the degree projet in Bhutan?

"The best part has definitely been meeting so many amazing people. Bhutanese people are super kind, caring and spread a lot of positive energy. We were welcomed with open arms, and it felt like home right away. On top of that the nature and mountains here are very beautiful! But I do miss regular coffee. They drink mostly instant coffee here, with tons of sugar." 

What are your plans after graduation?

"After graduating, I will go back to Germany to work for an aircraft manufacturer in Hamburg."