Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Tree Trip Day 4: KTH

On our fourth day in Sweden and second day in Stockholm, we visited KTH Royal Institute of Technology.  Dean Mikeal Lindström welcomed us to their campus.  He introduced us to two of his masters studies students, four PhD students and Dr. Martin Lawoko who did his PhD with Dr. Van Heiningen at the Universtiy of Maine. It was great to meet a fellow Black Bear so far away from home!
The students each gave us a short presentation on the research that they were working on and about themselves.  Most of their research was based on studies arouns different properties and uses of lignin. The masters students told us that they were part of a group called Fiberteknologerna, and after learning about this group from them we thought it was very similar to our student chapter of TAPPI/PIMA.  They then brought us on tours of their research laboritories.  We also got to see Greenhouse Labs, which is a place where start-up companies can rent out laboratories and office space to allow them to grow their company with the ability to lower some of the overhead cost, but they have to provide their own laboratory equipment.
After our tours we shared lunch with the students and Dr. Martin Lawoko. Over lunch we were able to chat with the students and learn more about Swedish culture and some interesting sights we should see while we were in Stockholm.  A few big topics of discussion were the differences in our education systems, travel, Sweden and Maine. Thank you Dean Mikael Lindström, Dr. Martin Lawoko and the students at KTH!

-Jake Gendreau

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