Receiving the Fulbright-Schuman Award 2022/2023 was a milestone in my scientific and academic career! Thanks to this scholarship, I started empirical research as a Visiting Graduate Student at the University of California San Diego under the supervision of prof. David G. Victor, head of the Center for Global Transformation and the Deep Decarbonization Initiative. The host research center is one of the world’s leading institutions in shaping strategies for counteracting climate change, which was an ideal place to conduct research as part of the internship and acquire new research and teaching competencies. The objective of the research internship was to assess the impact of policies and strategies on the establishment and development of the market for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in California from 1990 to 2022.
The implementation of the awarded research concept (and thus the concept of the dissertation) led to the formulation of a number of recommendations for regional and central authorities in shaping public policies in the indicated area. The recommendations were the subject of in-depth consultations with decision-makers at the EU level (European Commission – May 2023) and at the national level in Poland (Ministry of Climate and Environment – June 2023).
The Fulbright-Schuman program has been offering scholarships for doctoral students and researchers for over 30 years for the implementation of research projects related to the policies of the European Union in all scientific disciplines or relations between the USA and the European Union. The scholarships are funded by the US Department of State and the European Commission. In 2023 competition under the Fulbright-Schuman Program, only 11 scholarships were awarded (in the category dedicated to Ph.D. students) from all EU Member States.
RECEPTION IN THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS (JUNE 15, 2022)
His Excellency US Ambassador Michael Adler invited all 2022/2023 Fulbright-Schuman scholarship grantees, as well as American Fulbright scholarship recipients who stayed in Belgium and Luxembourg, to the reception at the US Embassy in Brussels. The reception was an exceptional opportunity to meet the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, representatives of the Fulbright Commission in Brussels, as well as other Fulbright grantees from almost all corners of Europe. I am so grateful that I was able to join the Fulbright fellowship community!
Source of pictures: U.S. Embassy in Belgium.
INFORMATION MEETING AND PRE-DEPARTURE OREINTATION IN WARSAW ORGANIZED BY THE POLISH-AMERICAN FULBRIGHT COMMISSION (May 12, 2022)
Although my scholarship was coordinated directly by the Fulbright Commission in Brussels, the Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission in Warsaw invited me to a unique orientation meeting, combined with integration and a series of training workshops for Polish Fulbright grantees.
The full-day meeting was a phenomenal way to meet many exceptional Fulbright fellows from all over Poland. We also had the opportunity to meet last year’s alumni who shared their experiences and many valuable tips. I would like to thank all employees of the Fulbright Commission in Poland for organizing such a wonderful event!
Źródło zdjęć: Polsko-Amerykańska Komisja Fulbrighta
TEAMWORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO
The University of California, San Diego was a wonderful place to grow academically. UCSD offered me many opportunities to meet other foreign doctoral students and experienced scholars. On a daily basis, I worked under the supervision of Prof. David G. Victor, together with other researchers from the Center for Global Transformation. I received special help and substantive support from Dr. Ryan Hanna (shown in the photo), with whom I had endless discussions during my work and lunch breaks. I also worked in the office with Emily Carlton and Dr. Daniela Faggiani Dias (also pictured). I was also supported organizationally and administratively by Steve Carlson. Thanks to my mentors and colleagues, I completed all of my planned research objectives without a hitch. I returned with a baggage of memorable experiences and a set of research results for my dissertation.
SELECTED ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN DURING RESEARCH INTERNSHIP AT UCSD
Presentation at the World Fuel Cell Conference 2022 at the UC Irvine
As part of the 2022 World Fuel Cell Conference at the University of California, Irvine, I had the extraordinary honor of presenting the preliminary results of my research on the evaluation of efforts made specifically by state authorities to develop the FCEV market in California...
California Hydrogen Business Council workshop in California’s Coachella Valley
Participation in this unique industry event contributed to how I see the market development opportunities for FCEV/FCEB vehicles, especially in the context of the decarbonization of public transport...
Keynote speaker at the UC Davis doctoral seminar
At the end of January 2023, I had the unique opportunity to personally attend and present the results of my doctoral research project before experts from the University of California, Davis...
Presentation at the 44th IAEE International Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
In early February, more than half a thousand scientists and business experts gathered to debate “Pathways to a Clean, Stable and Sustainable Future for the Energy Sector"...