Yvonne Joho - 10 months have become almost 4 years!

Yvonne Joho originally decided to go abroad to improve her English but the planned 10-month stay was extended by 3 years. The inspiring work environment and a fascination with research motivated her to do a PhD after her Master's.

One year after her BSc, Yvonne started her master's in bioanalytics at the HLS and wanted to take the opportunity to write her thesis abroad. With the help of IAESTE, a non-profit organization which arranges internships abroad for students in technical and natural science faculties, Yvonne applied for a position at the Australian government research organization in Melbourne (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). It was a great pleasure when she was accepted.

Yvonne dealt with a highly relevant environmental topic in her master's thesis, which she investigates further for her PhD. She is working on an enzyme that can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and has already achieved good results, which she has presented at a conference. This was a valuable and stimulating experience!

Yvonne recommends that everyone go abroad during their studies! Organizing the stay, dealing with the unexpected and leaving her comfort zone broadened her horizons and gave her many formative experiences.