The cooperation was established thanks to the CTU FEE Grant: PhD Study with a Distinguished External Co-Supervisor, which is designed for PhD students of study programmes focused on electrical engineering, power engineering and economics of these two fields. Students visit their external co-supervisors for four weeks over the course of a year; how they schedule their visits is up to them. At other times, their supervisors come to visit them at the CTU FEE.
Besides the dissertation consultation, the Malaysian researchers had a rich programme in Prague. On Tuesday, the head of the Department of Electrotechnology, Professor Karel Dušek, together with the two PhD students gave them a tour of their laboratories. Thus, they had the opportunity to visit the Laboratory of Photovoltaic System Diagnostics, the Laboratory of Material Diagnostics, the Laboratory of Climate Technology, the Laboratory for Development and Implementation, the 3D Printing Laboratory and many others.
First impressions of Universiti Malaya
The topic of Ing. Klimtová's dissertation is electrochemical migration. This phenomenon involves the movement of metal ions under the influence of an electric field and humidity, which contributes to the wear and tear of instruments. "What pays a role in the selectionHow active the student is scientifically, whether it is publishing or working on projects, plays a role in the selection of a foreign supervisor. Professor Wong is very active in both of these areas. The fact that his team is currently working intensively on electrochemical migration issues contributes to this, and he has offered me the opportunity to work with his students," says Klimtová.
Ing. Králová's dissertation focuses on new aspects in enhancing the wettability of lead-free solder alloys, which affects the quality and reliability of the solder joints. "The main criterion for selecting a supervisor was the publication activity related to the topics I am addressing during my PhD," says Králová.
The internship was an unforgettable experience for the students. The Malaysian education system there is similar to the UK's, with students having to pay tuition fees throughout their university studies, including PhDs. However, they also have the option of skipping the master's degree and going straight on to a PhD after completing their undergraduate studies. "But I was also intrigued by some of the little things in everyday life. For example, when you order iced tea or coffee, you get the drink in a plastic bag instead of a plastic cup, as we are used to here in Europe," says Králová.
