Arkadiusz Szkudlarek: – I've learned to divide my time between my professional and academic career

As an implementation PhD student at the UPWr Doctoral School, Arkadiusz Szkudlarek also works outside the university, learning and gaining experience at the same time: – I started working in my profession quite early on, because I got a job as an assistant hydrotechnical designer even before completing my first studies. It was a great experience to be able to get to know the theoretical aspects of environmental engineering and practical aspects of design and implementation issues in hydraulic engineering at the same time – highlights the PhD student.

The doctoral school program for implementation PhD students combines education with real life projects from companies employing them. The result of the PhD program is the implementation of the student’s research into the company.

Ever since his engineering studies, Arkadiusz has managed to combine work with education, hence, after graduating from his master’s studies, the idea to stay at the university and continue his research, which he started as part of his master's thesis, came about. – My thesis regarded the construction of a prototype fish pass model designed by Prof. Marian Mokwa and carrying out tests in a water laboratory on this particular model. This idea, however, competed in my head with the dream of setting up my own design office – explains Arkadiusz Szkudlarek, adding that at this time, one of the most important events in his life happened – the birth of his daughter Laura, which consumed the vast majority of his time. This is why he wasn’t able to continue working in a lab as a doctoral student. However, with good planning and time management, he was, and still is, able to combine studying with work, while having a family life and time to rest.

– It was only a few years after these events that I had the opportunity to work on a research and development project as chief engineer. During the research, the desire to continue scientific work returned with double force. The only thing that stood between me and a PhD was the consent of my employer and successful recruitment to the UPWr Doctoral School. Of course, neither of these things were a problem for me and in a blink of an eye I'm already halfway through my PhD - says Arkadiusz.

However, being an implementation PhD student is quite a challenge. Although it would seem that the additional experience gained at work would make the entire process easier, the time and attention of a PhD student are often divided: – My knowledge and experience show that gaining education as an implementation PhD student is definitely more difficult. Combining a full-time job, running a design office, doing research and studying at a doctoral school is a hard task. It is much easier to pursue a PhD when you can devote 100% of your time to it – explains Arkadiusz Szkudlarek, whose scientific work covers the issues of kinetic energy recovery from flowing waters through searching for a highly efficient method of water gathering and turning it into electricity.

He is looking for a way to develop a highly efficient kinetic water turbine that will be able to use the energy of flowing waters without the need to artificially partition a river: – Currently, there are no highly efficient, mobile water turbines in Poland, and turbines from foreign producers are absent on our market. There is a real need to develop a new and environmentally friendly turbine that does not require damming, that can also be widely used on national, as well as European, rivers – explains Szkudlarek, adding that there are many places in the world where this type of turbine could potentially be installed as an emission-free energy source.

The Polish hydropower potential is estimated at around 12,000 GWh per year. Arkadiusz Szkudlarek, who would like his research to make hydropower popular in Poland, noticed the growing need of not only entrepreneurs, but also possibly everyday residents in the future to use environmentally friendly turbines. According to the PhD student from UPWr Doctoral School, the currently used methods of designing water turbines are not applicable to flow turbines, because they are usually based on the decline in the water surface and the height of the suction pressure.

Arkadiusz Szkudlarek’s supervisors offer him invaluable support and help him to shape his scientific career path. The PhD student has had the opportunity to work with his assistant supervisor – prof. Marian Mokwa before, during his engineering studies, as part of his work experience at a design office, creating a fish pass.  – I think that it was Professor Mokwa who made me interested in the issue of ecological permeability of watercourses, since both my diploma theses were about fish passes. Professor Mokwa was, and remains, an inspiration to me, not only as a scientific authority, but also as a true Jack of all trades, a man of many talents. In turn, Prof. Robert Kasperek, due to my often limited involvement (due to work), helps me with current affairs at the university. As an active scientist, author of many scientific publications and deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Engineering, he advises me on scientific and administrative matters. His support in my PhD research is invaluable – highlights Arkadiusz Szkudlarek.

In the future, Szkudlarek would like to continue his scientific career. However, this happening, depends on many factors. – On the one hand, I have always felt the need to share my knowledge, which could help to shape the minds of future engineers. On the other hand, professional work is my passion. I approach each new project with great care, and I feel proud after they are completed. But I can’t rule out that in the future I might once again be forced to cleverly divide my time between my professional and academic career. I guess we’ll see – says Arkadiusz Szkudlarek.

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