It's Episode 58, and it's time to share what it's really like being a member of one of our strategic partners, the Energy Institute.

Ubong Essien is a PhD researcher at the University of Strathclyde and Secretary of the Energy Institute Young Professional Network.

He studied mechanical engineering in Nigeria, where apprenticeships were not a common route into the profession and university was effectively the only path available. A master's in production engineering introduced him to sustainability and moved his interest towards energy. After a year working in the palm kernel oil processing industry he returned to academia as a lecturer, then began a PhD in Morocco before leaving after sixteen months and starting again at Strathclyde, where his research covers materials for fuel cells and ammonia decomposition as a route to hydrogen.

In this episode he talks about deciding whether a PhD is the right choice and what makes one worth finishing, how membership of the Energy Institute led to panel sessions at All-Energy and a feature in New Energy World while still a student, and why he believes the sector needs people from business, economics and marketing as much as it needs engineers. He also discusses where hydrogen realistically sits as a fuel, and his plans to commercialise his research after completing his PhD.

An honest conversation about building a career across three countries, and about taking opportunities that feel bigger than you are.

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If you're student and you're interested in energy you can be a part of a global community of 20,000+ members from across the entire energy sector,j oin the Energy Institute for free -

https://www.energyinst.org/membership-and-accreditation/membership/membership-types-v2/individual-membership/student

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