• Question: Have you been to many other countries to study your research?

    Asked by sarahbrannigan to Aggelos, Andrew, Eileen, Naomi, Shane on 12 Nov 2012.
    • Photo: Aggelos Zacharopoulos

      Aggelos Zacharopoulos answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      @sarahbrannigan, because of my research I travel often, usually in sunny places. I ve been in USA, South Africa, India, UAE (Abu Dhabi), Spain, Greece, Cyprus, France and elsewhere.

      It is a great pleasure to be able to visit different places, meet local people and do my research. It is an other of the advantages of being a scientist… 😉

    • Photo: Shane Bergin

      Shane Bergin answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      This is one of the best things about science. I have colleagues from all over the world who have travelled to work in Ireland (or the other places i’ve worked). We travel great distances as scientists to work on common areas of interest.

      I’ve also been to many countries to share my results and learn from scientists at conferences. I’ve been to China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, USA, mexico and Singapore!

    • Photo: Eileen Diskin

      Eileen Diskin answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      Hi Sarah!

      Yes, I’ve been to a few, but since I’m only a PhD student I haven’t had the chance to go to as many as some of the others here who are lecturers in their universities – they have a bit more money to use for travelling for research than I do 😉

      I did get to go to Kenya and Uganda in Africa. Those were really cool, and I got to see some of my favorite animals – like elephants, giraffes, and zebras! I also did some of my PhD field work in Southern Europe, it was nice because it was very sunny and hot there, a nice escape from rainy Ireland 🙂

      Hopefully one day I’ll get to go to even more places, and see some amazing things. I’d love to go to the rainforests in South America…maybe one day I’ll make it there!

      -Eileen

    • Photo: Andrew Jackson

      Andrew Jackson answered on 12 Nov 2012:

      I get to travel mostly to go to conferences which is like a holiday resort for scientists! We all meet up, share our ideas and have fun chatting about science and asking each other lots of questions. These conferences have taken me to Alaska and Hawaii in the USA, London in England, Dresden in Germany and Paris in France.

      For my actual research I have travelled to Uganda in Africa. I have a student working on vultures in Swaziland and South Africa right now so hopefully i can go out with him soon. I also got to spend a lot of time in the west of Ireland in really beautiful places looking for animals and plants that live in lakes. Its really nice to see parts of the country that you dont normally go to as a visitor.

      Then for teaching I often travel to Portaferry in the North of Ireland to teach our students about marine biology, and in January I am going to Kenya in Africa to teach students about Tropical Biology and Ecology.

      so, yes… lots of travel and lots of fun

    • Photo: Naomi Elster

      Naomi Elster answered on 15 Nov 2012:

      No, not yet 🙁 I have gone to London once or twice with my research, and I’m going to be spending 6 weeks in Houston in Texas, USA, as part of my PhD, which is really exciting. Firstly, because it’s to learn a technique not currently known in Ireland, which means I’ll be able to bring some really useful expertise back. Secondly, because I’ve never been to Texas, and I have no idea what to expect!!

      I’m in the same position as Eileen – as PhD students, we don’t get to travel as much as more experienced scientists. In the later parts of our PhDs we will get to go to conferences though, which I’m really looking forward to – you literally can travel to anywhere in the world :D.

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