My PhD journey came to an end

March 18, 2024

Growing up in a remote part of the world—sleeping on a cowhide rug with a pillow stuffed with buckwheat hulls and waking to the sound of roosters—the journey to earning a Doctorate in Engineering in an advanced country, let alone securing the position of Assistant Professor at the National Institute for Fusion Science, is nothing short of a blessing.

Earning a Dr. Eng. in Optical Measurement was a challenging journey, akin to navigating a bumpy road not taken. Being away from family, the lack of a Bhutanese community near my university, and facing language barriers made me feel like a dedicated hermit meditating in a Hiroshima cave. However, with the unwavering support of my supervisors, co-supervisors, and lab friends, I successfully arrived the end of that road not taken. I am grateful to each of them, and to my family back in Bhutan for their constant encouragement. I cannot express enough gratitude for everything you all have done. I owe everything to my parents, who, despite being farmers without formal education, were the backbone of my journey to earning a Doctor of Engineering. Their wisdom and unwavering support made my dreams possible.

My next academic journey will be as an Proj. Assistant Professor at NIFS, where I will focus on Qualitative monitoring of greenhouse gases by mid-infrared laser sensing. The opportunity to collaborate with esteemed scientists at NIFS fills me with both excitement and anticipation, yet I also have a sense of worry regarding my performance in a new environment with demanding research expectations.

Although I received a postdoctoral position offer from a university in Italy, I chose NIFS due research alignment. I want to express my gratitude to the Italian professors for their offer and consideration.

I am deeply grateful to my root teacher and kenchosum for their blessings throughout my academic journey. The obstacles have been dismantled and they have guided me on this bumpy road not taken with their powerful blessings, allowing me to reach this juncture, for which I am truly blessed. As I move forward, I believe in the power of aligning dedication with the blessings of my guru and kenchosum. Growing up, my faith in kenchosum has always brought me strength and direction.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: I am sharing this accomplishment not to show off, but to express gratitude for the effort and support of my parents that have brought me here.

Additionally, the objective of this post is to inspire people who want to pursue higher education, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds like mine. I want to assure you that, no matter where you come from, you can achieve your goals if you have a willing heart.

Receiving PhD diploma