How Pritha Dasgupta, first recipient of Tricia Cohen Scholarship is adjusting to life at University of Dundee

I decided that I wanted to do a PhD while I was pursuing graduation from St Xavier’s College, Kolkata. I completed my graduation in Microbiology and went on to study Biotechnology for master’s. I completed my master’s from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. It was during this time that I decided to move abroad for my PhD. I am currently pursuing my PhD in Biotechnology at the School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland.

One of the reasons for moving abroad was that there was great progress in my field of research in other countries and there is so much to learn and grow. A lot of people prefer working after pursuing a certain level of education, but my goal was always research. I would be the second person in my family to get a PhD, my paternal uncle being the first. He has always been my inspiration. I plan to pursue post-doctorate.

Why I couldn’t apply right after master’s

However, I couldn’t apply to a lot of places after completing my post-graduation as my master’s thesis was quite short due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is generally for one year, but due to Covid we were home for six months and the thesis period was then only four months. And, since I did not have much experience in the lab due to it, I decided not to apply that year.

In order to apply to places of my choice and gain more experience, I worked as a CSIR Junior Research Fellow at the National Centre for Biological Science in Bengaluru for nearly a year. And, then I applied to colleges abroad.

University of Dundee and Tricia Cohen Prize

I wanted to pursue my PhD in Europe so I applied to a lot of Max Planck programmes. Along with that, I applied here in Dundee, as it (the university) specialises in the field I was researching on while in Bengaluru.

I started my preparation in October and got my confirmation in January. I started my course in September 2022. I am also the first recipient of the Tricia Cohen Prize Studentship. I was awarded the scholarship from among hundreds of applicants. Tricia Cohen was the wife of Professor Sir Philip Cohen, one of the UK’s most distinguished biochemists. She passed away in 2020.

Documents needed for admission

The university asks for an English language test and I already had my TOEFL score, which I am not sure if it is mandatory, and if you’re doing a doctorate study in UK, you need to get an APS certificate. The university sends all the required documents for APS and you have to send them back. Apart from that, you need your CV, marksheets, certificates and all.

This was my first time outside India and I did not know anyone in the UK, but I didn’t have to worry about it so much as the fellowship I am a part of took care of everything. They picked me up from Glasgow Airport to the hotel and everything was booked. In fact, Sir Philip Cohen personally oversaw the preparations. However, I was a bit anxious as I didn’t know anybody.

My life at Dundee

At Dundee, I stay in an apartment with another PhD student, I have my room and we share a kitchen, common area and washroom. PhD students for some reason do not get university accommodation. I generally don’t get the time to cook, but I ensure that I cook one meal a day, the other meal I generally eat out.

I booked the accommodation from India and then when arrived, I reported to the authorities and they helped me with the process. It is only after I came here that I realised how helpful people in Scotland are. It has been a great experience

Homesickness and what I do about it

I did not take a loan as the grant I receive from PhD and the fellowship is enough for me to sustain myself. I haven’t been home since I came from India in September 2022, I miss it. There is nothing you can do when you feel homesick, so I try to engage myself in work as much as I can. I especially miss home during festivals. Hopefully I will go home this year.

Now, since I have spent a considerable amount of time here, I have made friends with both Indians and non-Indians. Not all my friends are of my age and generation. I have friends with people from different age groups with whom I share the same interests and we have great discussions.

Dundee is a small town and my place is pretty close to the city centre and university. Everything from supermarkets to all amenities are close by. We have Indian shops where we get all Indian groceries but they are a little expensive. I mostly cook Indian food but I don’t have to buy a lot of Indian groceries as I have a lot of spices from home. Being a Bengali, mustard oil is a must in our food, but since you are not allowed to carry a large amount of liquid, I got my mustard oil from here and I cook all my meals in it.

One thing I realised is that in order to travel in Scotland you need to have a car, though I don’t have one. I have been to several places including Edinburgh, Perth, Glasgow, St Andrews, and also did an island trip from Edinburgh.

Advice for students willing to pursue PhD abroad

Students applying abroad should do their research well and understand that the places they are applying to have the necessary expertise. The second thing they need to consider is the city and if they are getting a fellowship or not and how much fellowship they are getting and how much they can save. Also, one thing I feel is important to consider is whether that place has an international community.

— By Pritha Dasgupta