Wen Jiang graduated from the Master’s Degree Programme in Wood Materials Science in 2016, and she is now continuing her career in research in Sweden. Currently she is working at the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Linnaeus University, doing research on how to make adhesives from waste materials. Promoting the use of wood as a renewable alternative has been an important motivator for Wen right from the start.
Help of tuition waiver
When Wen was considering her future profession, she thought that it would be interesting to do something related to wood – which is not the most typical material in her home country.
– In China, people don’t use that much wood compared to Finland, because it is very expensive. During my Bachelor’s studies in wood material science and engineering, I truly realized that wood is such a cool material and it gives a lot of possibilities for use. Also the environmental benefits of using wood materials are important for me.
Wen first heard about the UEF’s Master’s degree programme in Wood Materials Science when it had been newly founded – and she entered in the second-ever student batch.
– I remember seeing an ad about the programme in the corridor of my home university in China. To be honest, before that I wasn’t really thinking about studying abroad, but it looked so interesting that I found out more and decided to apply.
At that time, there was no tuition fee for international students in Finland, and that was definitely a huge benefit for Wen. After that, moderate tuition fees have been introduced, but this year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University of Eastern Finland, all new students admitted to international Master’s Degree Programme in Wood Materials Sciences in 2020 (September intake) are eligible to receive a partial tuition waiver of 80%.
– I was discussing with my parents and they fully supported me, especially when they heard about the financial support that was available.
Wen got accepted – and so began her first ever trip abroad, which has now lasted for more than 5 years and counting.
Flexibility and independence
When Wen started her studies, soon she realised that studying in Finland was very different than back home.
– The education system is very different. In China we are not asked to read much literature, and we attend teaching in class. In Finland, teachers often give an introduction to the topic and then a list of materials to read.
There’s no denying that this was hard for Wen at first.
– Suddenly I had to study everything in English, and I wasn’t used to it at all. Some teachers had a little bit of accent and it took time to learn the vocabulary and such. But after a while I got used to the teaching style and the language and everything felt easier.
What Wen really values about the Finnish system is the flexibility and independence, and the study pace that didn’t feel overly stressful to Wen – but somewhat relaxed, she could even say.
You have a lot of freedom to organise your studies as you think is best and decide how much time you invest in them.
– What is really useful is the fact that you can resit exams several times, and the highest score is recorded, no matter whether it is the first or last result. That was good for me, because I knew that I wanted to apply for PhD studies and the grades really mattered.
However, some practical things in Finland required some adaptation.
– I hear people complain about the coldness and darkness, but actually for me, the hardest part was the summer when it was light all day and night long. Therefore, on the second year I bought a heavy curtain to be able to sleep, she laughs.
For Wen, living in Joensuu – a small city in Chinese standards – wasn’t an issue, but quite the opposite.
– There are so many activities in Joensuu that you’ll definitely find things to do. I really like music so I went to music events with friends, and of course, we went to the Ilosaarirock festival that is a huge music event organised annually in Joensuu. I even did voluntary work for the festival and that way I felt that I really was a part of the event. Besides that, we experimented with ice fishing and other Finnish activities. It was lots of fun.
PhD – and further
Wen came up with the topic for her thesis when she was doing a practical training at the Karelia University of Applied Sciences, also located in Joensuu.
– My thesis concerned using nanocellulose in wood adhesives to reinforce it, instead of traditional fillers such as glass and silicone, and it was accepted with the highest possible grade.
Writing the Master’s thesis sparked Wen’s interest for further studies, and she decided to apply to PhD. She found a suitable position in the neighbouring country, Sweden.
In retrospect, Wen is thankful for all the learning she gained in the Wood Materials Science programme.
– Of course, the diploma helped me to get the PhD position in Sweden. The programme taught me a lot as the focus is on biomass chemistry and forest bioeconomy, compared to the more mechanical aspects of wood that I learned in my Bachelor’s.
Besides wood materials theory, Wen has benefited from other skills that she learnt in the programme.
– Besides absorbing a lot of theory, I value the practical courses related to study methods and such. I remember good courses on how to search for literature or how to use for instance the Matlab tool that were of great use for me.
She remembers the staff at UEF with warm thoughts.
– I took many courses from Antti Haapala, who was the supervisor for my thesis. I learned a lot from him. I also remember that Petri Kärenlampi’s courses that were insightful, and of course, the coordinator Pauliina Karvinen, who helped a lot with every possible practical problem.
Most importantly, Wen’s interest in wood materials only grew – and continues to do so.
– I still think wood is cool, and I really enjoy that I can contribute to novel solutions that can increase the use of wood as a sustainable material.