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Dinara Bozzhigitova is completing the first year of her Master’s studies at Aalto. She also works at , in a team that does research on enzyme and material biotechnology.

After getting a Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, Dinara applied to study Biotechnology at Aalto, because she wanted to gain a more complete understanding of the theoretical aspects of her work. She is also passionate about developing ecological alternatives to current technologies.

“I really enjoy my current work, because most of the projects are about plastics and valorisation of some bioproducts. After I graduate, I definitely want to apply my knowledge to developing new sustainable solutions that combat the climate crisis”, she says.

Dinara started working at VTT in 2019. She started as a Bachelor’s thesis worker, then stayed there during the following summer, after which she was hired full time. Currently, she is working part-time, to balance her studies and work.

“Most of my work is done in a laboratory. I would say 70 percent of my job is lab experiments. I’m responsible for quite many projects and my research deals with similar stuff as my studies – enzyme production of microbes.”

Dinara applied to many Master’s programs, but Biotechnology at Aalto was her first choice. She currently has courses on metabolism and microbial physiology.

“I know quite a few people who had studied Biotechnology at Aalto and I had heard good reviews about the program. When I read more about the courses, I knew that they offered exactly what I needed. I know the practical stuff of my work quite well, but the studies help me understand why these processes are happening the way that they do.”

A part of a lively student community

Dinara says she enjoys the active student community in Otaniemi. Her work office is located across the parking lot from the main building of the School of Chemical Engineering. She has enjoyed the atmosphere at the , and plans on visiting there more often in the future.

"Because I work in Otaniemi, I could always see students walking around in overalls and doing interesting and strange stuff, and I wanted to be a part of that. I think the student community is really strong at Aalto. I also talk to a lot of exchange students and most of them say that they never thought that a student community can be this strong.”

Besides her studies and work, Dinara enjoys going climbing a couple of times a week, or as time permits. She also plans on taking advantage of the possibilities that her Unisport membership offers.

“There are so many different classes you can attend! So maybe I will go dancing one week, and do yoga the next. I think it’s really nice. I’ve also joined student associations like , which includes hiking and climbing. I’m really looking forward to those events.”