Dehong Li

As a recipient of the scholarship, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the KSB Stiftung Scholarship by the DAAD-Stiftung for supporting this research. When I first arrived in Germany, I was surprised by the delays on the German railways because I thought things would be different from Canada, where trains often run late. I absolutely adore the warm climate here, especially since I'm from Quebec City, Canada, where the average winter temperature is below minus ten degrees, and the snow is deep.

The friendly people made me feel less lonely. Everyone was willing to help. At the central train station in Hanover, as I was anxiously searching for my platform, a middle-aged man guided me all the way to my platform, and thanks to him, I was lucky to catch my train. Göttingen is a beautiful little city. Forty-six Nobel Prize winners have studied or taught here.

There is a tradition here that on the day a doctoral student defends and receives their degree, they are accompanied by family and friends and ride on a flower float to the square in front of the old city hall to kiss the statue of Goose Girl.

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The statue of the Goose Girl and the Forum Wissen in Göttingen

Studying or conducting research here is certainly a happy and fun experience. I really enjoy the rich cultural atmosphere here, and there is even a bookstore every few dozen meters where I can browse. Unfortunately, I don't know German, so I can only appreciate a limited selection of books. I lived in Basecamp, just a few hundred meters from the city center. The apartment was home to many students from different countries. We often had interesting parties and game competitions.

Through these events, I made friends from Germany, South Africa, Slovenia, France, Morocco, South Korea, and Malaysia. I even won the championship in a billiards tournament. My research focuses on utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) for solar energy storage and indoor temperature regulation, using their ability to absorb and release large amounts of heat within a narrow temperature range during solid-liquid transitions.

I conducted my research under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Carsten Mai and Dr. Sascha Brinker. We successfully combined bio-based phase change materials with high energy storage density with solid wood and prepared two solid wood composites by vacuum impregnation and pressure impregnation. Such materials are expected to be utilized for building insulation to improve energy efficiency.

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From Berlin highlights to the BMW Museum in Munich

The next step is to place these materials in test houses to examine their actual temperature regulation and energy-saving effects. Here, I learned about new experimental methods, opened my mind, and met researchers from all over the world. The professionalism they demonstrated is further proof of the excellent academic reputation of German universities.

They have a strong sense of personal responsibility and rich professional knowledge, enabling them to complete their work independently, whereas Canadians place more emphasis on teamwork.In addition to academic research, I also visited big cities like Berlin and Munich, and enjoyed beautiful small cities like Erfurt and Kassel.

I tasted Glühwein and a variety of delicious sausages. Germany's pork knuckle is very famous, and I went to taste it when I was traveling in Berlin. I went bouldering with my friend I met in the department and skied together in the Alps. I hope that by the next time I visit Germany, I will have learned some German to try and communicate with people in their language.

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The Erfurt skyline and a wintery treat at the Christmas market

Thanks again to the KSB Stiftung Scholarship by DAAD-Stiftung for this opportunity. I would like to all the staff from DAAD-Stiftung for supporting the scholarship recipients. I would also like to thank my supervisors, Prof. Dr. Carsten Mai and Dr. Sascha Brinker, whose guidance and help were crucial for me.

Next, I will return to Canada to continue my doctoral research and pursue becoming an excellent researcher in the field of thermal energy storage. Even though my research visit has come to an end, the knowledge, friendships, and unforgettable experiences gained will stay with me forever.