Insightful Trip to Arctic Forum in Umeå boosts PhD research

Richard Johansson is a PhD candidate situated at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Kiruna, where he works on his PhD thesis. The thesis is part of a PhD project started at the Arctic Graduate School at Umeå University, meaning that Richard is partly hired at Umeå University as well. In order to attend a PhD course at the Arctic Graduate School, as well as attending the big Arctic Forum 2023, Richard applied for funding from the Arctic Centre and got approved.

Enriching course and rewarding conference

Johansson describes that both the course and the Arctic Forum proved to be enriching experiences.

– The mandatory course, "Introduction to Doctoral Studies at TekNat," provided insights into the expectations for Ph.D. students, offering clarity on what is anticipated in my role. The Arctic Forum was equally rewarding, affording me the opportunity to connect with fellow Ph.D. students within the Arctic Graduate School. Engaging in discussions with other researchers while analysing the art at Bildmuseet added a further layer of depth and significance to the overall experience.

Johansson continues to explain how the visit to Umeå benefitted his role as a researcher.

– My visit to Umeå provided me with insights into the essence of being a researcher. The course I attended contributed to my understanding and engaging in discussions with my fellow Ph.D. students in the Arctic Graduate School further enriched this perspective. Despite our diverse research subjects, I discovered striking similarities among us, both in terms of our personal attributes and our overall approach to conducting research.

An activity of Arctic and interdisciplinary significance

According to Johansson, the visit to Umeå had an interdisciplinary significance.

Given my status as one of the PhD candidates at the Arctic Graduate School, and the only one in the field of space physics, it was valuable to network with other students at the graduate school, but also with other researchers and actors within Arctic issues. This networking opportunity was beneficial not only for my future research endeavours at the Arctic Graduate School, but also for promoting my personal growth, concludes Johansson.