Alum Bismoy Jahan: The things I learned from Aalto are related to real-life problems

Bismoy Jahan came from Bangladesh to study Automation and Electrical Engineering at Aalto University. She thinks that the courses at Aalto were practical and related to real-life problems. From Finland, she especially remembers the high-quality education system and the beautiful nature.

Why did you choose the Master’s Programme in Automation and Electrical Engineering?

After I completed my bachelor’s in electrical and electronics, I went working for Siemens for four years. While I was working there, I realised that very soon many fields, like the energy section, medical section, and industry, will be heavily dependent on automation. So, I chose this programme because I thought would be nice to learn more about the topic.

I chose Aalto University because I’ve always wanted to study in Europe, and when I was doing my background research about different universities, almost everywhere was a mention that Finland has one of the best education systems in the world.

What was the best part of your studies?

The programme taught me realistic and practical things. The topics covered were closely related to the real-world problems we face. For instance, in a course called 'Electricity Market and Distribution', we were tasked with planning an electrical distribution network for our neighbourhood. We had to consider the optimisation of energy consumption, economic costs and environmental factors. This made me feel as though I was doing something that would genuinely benefit current and future systems.

I wrote my Master's thesis with the Smart Building Technology research group. The work environment and work-life balance were excellent. What I loved most was that the team was very cooperative. If I ran into a problem, others were keen to help me solve it.

Since graduating and moving back to Bangladesh, I have been interested in pursuing a career in research. I would like to work with distributed power systems and apply what I learnt at Aalto to my country's power system.

What was the best part of student life?

Aalto is so much more than just a place to study — there are always lots of activities going on! At the start of my studies, I went on a mushroom-picking tour and a trip to Nuuksio National Park, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the corona pandemic has had quite a big impact on my student life. However, what I loved the most was that Aalto really cares about its students. Even during lockdown, I never felt alone.

How does the future of the field look like?

Automation will be a big part of a regular person’s life. Whatever field you will be working in the future, automation will be part of it. For example, when you are coming to your home in the future, you are no longer using a mechanical lock and key, you open the door with your smartphone.

What kind of tips would you give to those starting their master’s studies?

The first year is crucial and it might feel challenging to plan your studies in the beginning. But you must be interactive with teachers, professors, and your study coordinator. If you keep in contact with them, you’ll never be clueless! For example, in summer break 2020 I was searching for a summer job and I didn’t have any luck with that. I decided to contact my professors and I’m happy I did because one professor took me into work in his research group.

What do you want to say to international students who are considering applying to Aalto?

Go for it! At Aalto, there are world-class laboratories, and the professors are very friendly, and I would definitely encourage international students to apply.

Finland is the most beautiful country I know. The education system is really good and Finland is a very equal country. And the lifestyle is very safe for women, too. People are compassionate, humble, and polite. But at the beginning, the weather can be challenging at least for people who are coming from Asia and other Southern parts of the world.