Arel
My name is Arel and I am from Turkey. Right after finishing my thesis, I was hired by dSPACE, the company where I completed my thesis, as a Development Engineer. I worked on developing software to test power electronic devices for the EV industry. After two years in that role, I moved into my current position as a Sales Engineer. Today, I work with partners across ASEAN, Australia, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and New Zealand, helping them improve their development and testing processes. It has been a learning curve, but a very rewarding one.
I studied Electrical Engineering in my bachelor’s degree, which is quite a broad field. I wanted to gain expertise in a topic that I would genuinely enjoy researching. Since I have always been passionate about the automotive industry, E-PiCo was the perfect way to combine both my technical background and an industry I truly enjoy. My thesis focused on electrical grids. I chose this because it was also my bachelor’s thesis topic, so I already had a solid starting point. EVs and electrical grids go hand in hand, so I wanted to explore the grid side in more depth. I researched real-time simulation of large-scale grids by distributing the system across multiple processor cores to achieve an optimal simulation step size.
My thesis focused on electrical grids. I chose this topic because it was also the subject of my bachelor’s thesis, so I already had a strong foundation. Since EVs and grid infrastructure go hand in hand, I decided to continue exploring the grid side. I researched real-time simulation capabilities of large-scale grid systems by distributing the grid across multiple processor cores to achieve the optimal simulation step size.
What did you find the most challenging in E-PiCo?
To be honest, the whole journey was challenging, but in the best way possible. "Nothing worth having comes easy,” and E-PiCo is a great example of that. Apart from the technical workload, constantly moving and calling a new place “home” every semester took some getting used to. But looking back, those challenges shaped me and taught me to adapt quickly.
Take every opportunity you are given, big or small. Your next job, your next research topic, or even your future PhD topic is just one conversation away. Don’t apply only to earn a master’s degree; apply because you want to live the full E-PiCo experience. If you put your heart into it, you will get far more out of the programme than you expect.
What did E-PiCo teach you beyond academics?
Resilience, adaptability, and the ability to work effectively in multicultural teams, skills that I use every day in my professional life.
