My Personal Training Experience at READ Research Group
By: Fatma Marrakchi
As
an engineer and junior researcher, the strongest sense of pride comes from
riding the tides of the times and demonstrating passion and talent in working
to achieve an important goal. The last thing we want is to face big unexpected
challenges or obstacles, which can cause major delays, increase expenses, or lead
to unplanned complications. Just start!
Jumping into the deep end is the first step. This allows you to get a feel for
the challenges you will face and what you need to do to succeed.
My training experience began after contacting
Prof. Bassim to express my
interest in joining his Reaction Engineering & Adsorption (READ) Group at the School of Chemical Engineering of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for a period of six months. The application process to
attend the training was organized by USAINS Holding. I did not have any prior
experience about the procedure of the application, but the application process
was prepared me for the challenges to come and boosted my confidence. I would
like to take this time to acknowledge the efforts and support of Mr. Khairol
Mohammed Anuar, the manager of the Training & Educational Program, in
processing my application.
My
first day at READ Lab was one of my most memorable days in USM. Prof. Bassim
talked about many interesting things, such as security and safety inside and
outside of the university and his laboratory works. Furthermore, Prof. Bassim
gave me a tour in the laboratory and showed me all of the experimental setups
and facilities related to the preparation of activated carbons.
During the first week, Prof. Bassim asked
me to read some research articles on the production of activated carbons to
obtain fundamental knowledge on the topic before I started my laboratory work.
He always pushed my thinking limits to the maximum by challenging me to come up
with different solutions to one problem that showed my problem-solving ability.
In the same time, I was excited and enthusiastic to start the training. I
presented some ideas and methods on the preparation of activated carbons from
olive wood. Every day in the laboratory was different, and I became really
adept at time management during this time. Although everyone I met was
incredibly friendly and keen to help, it was a challenging environment for me because
I am expected to produce excellent results. I found myself working late sometimes
to complete my research works, but this sacrifice is the trade-off for stimulating,
challenging work. Other than the production of activated carbons from olive
wood trees, the training was extended to the preparation of activated carbons
from Tunisian agricultural wastes to create new low-cost adsorbents from
different locally available materials.
My supervisor Prof. Bassim is a gifted
professor who gave me a great opportunity to learn. He demonstrated an amazing
ability to engage students who join his READ Group with various levels of
preparation and motivation. Prof. Bassim is an excellent research leader, an expert in
his field, and an internationally recognized researcher. He is generous with
his time and ideas and is willing to put in the extra time to help his research
team members. His easy going personality and intelligence make him an asset to
any collaborative team whether as a leader or a contributor. During my
training, I was impressed with how excellent
he is at managing his research group, guiding his students, and executing his
research projects.
Communication
via email was also an important learning platform for me. Prof. Bassim always replied
my e-mails promptly. I consider myself blessed to be part of his research
group.
I
have tried to learn as much as possible from him and his research managing
style. It was a pleasure to be under the supervision of Prof.
Bassim,
and I would
not hesitate to work with him again in the future.
I also enjoyed many
opportunities to learn about the laboratory activities through other opportunities
such as observing the final year research projects and interacting with
postgraduate students who are working on different research topics. This
wonderful experience enabled me to learn beyond the scope of my research topic.
My time at READ Group was a fantastic
training experience opportunity where I rapidly developed not only transferable
skills but also my confidence. At the end of the training course, I was sad to
leave because I know I would miss the friendly atmosphere within the lab. Everyone
in the group was very kind and accommodating. They made me feel welcome from
day one. I enjoyed my training, but I still have a lot to learn. I have decided
to pursue further studies in my country by applying for a PhD program in
chemical engineering and plan to join the READ Group as
an international PhD attachment student. I am looking forward to meet Prof.
Bassim again and to conduct research works under his supervision.
