Ángela Sánchez Quintero, Ph.D. student in environmental biotechnology, alumni EDENE Cohort#2
Your doctoral journey
Is there a memorable moment or anecdote you would like to share?
Of course, there are plenty of memorable moments and funny anecdotes! The great moments with the other PhD students of the EDENE programme (when we did rafting or at the top of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre), or the laughs and desperation in the lab counting mustard and wheat roots with my supervisor Amandine Adrien, as well as the amusing raceway cleaning (actually water battle) with Marie-Ange in APESA. Also memorable is the great opportunity to live in such an incredible place as the Basque Country and fully integrate into rural culture and life with local people.
What are you most proud of in your doctoral journey?
I am very happy for all that this experience has allowed me to grow, not only on a scientific level but also on a personal level. At the scientific stage, I am very happy to had the opportunity to work side by side with people who do science with such honesty as Susana Fernandes, my PhD supervisor. I am also proud that, despite the most difficult moments, I have never stopped believing in what we do and in its potential. At the personal level, I feel a huge evolution in the independence and the resolution with which I manage everything, as well as in my French and English language skills. The most powerful lesson of these years has been to be able to embrace uncertainty and to focus my attention on what is really important for myself. As well as being proud, I am deeply grateful for all the opportunities.
Your experience at UPPA
How did you experience your PhD journey at UPPA and within the EDENE programme?
I’ve feel welcomed from the beginning and I consider that the whole UPPA team makes it very easy for PhD students, especially for foreign students. The EDENE programme has been a great advantage for all of us, coming from different countries all over the world, we have had a lot in common (despite the interdisciplinary) and we have been lucky to have the chance to share it and learn a lot from the others. It has been a great opportunity for openness and we have been accompanied at all times by Elisabeth and Gilles (managers of the program), making everything much easier and familiar.
Your career perspectives
How did being part of the H2020 MSCA COFUND EDENE programme influence your career path?
Having completed a PhD in this context facilitates integration into the labour market within an international perspective, which is really important for me. In addition, the EDENE programme has allowed us to clarify our ideas by visiting different industries and to network with different companies.
About the EDENE doctoral programme
The EDENE doctoral programme, funded by the European H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND initiative and managed by the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour (UPPA), aims to train international researchers in the fields of energy and the environment. By promoting an interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international approach, the programme helps strengthen the impact of research on these major challenges. Between 2021 and 2026, 30 high-potential international PhD candidates were recruited, bringing substantial added value to scientific and technological innovation in these strategic areas.
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