– interview with Washington Logroño, our alumnus from Ecuador.

Washington Logroño completed his MSc in Molecular Biology, Biotechnology and Microbiology at the University of Szeged from 2015-2017.

Where do you live and what do you do nowadays?

 I live in the beautiful city of Leipzig in Germany. I am currently the Chief Science Officer & co-founder of a biotech startup company, focused on the production of alternative proteins using a proprietary fermentation technology. I am building and leading the scientific and technological development at the company, managing the scientific team and communicate & network with multi-level stakeholders. I started this journey after my PhD research and science management roles at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ.

 What do you find most challenging about your profession?

 There are certainly challenges associated with founding a biotech company from scratch. Some include building a top scientific team to setting up the right R&D strategy. There is a certain degree of challenge in doing science with business mindset rather than doing science in an academic environment. Adapting and changing R&D priorities quickly is challenging but fun thing to do.

 How long have you lived in Hungary and why did you choose SZTE for your studies?

 I was in Hungary for 2 years for MSc studies and it was great time. There were two indicators that helped me take an informed decision; the first one was how well the University is ranked internationally and the second one was whether it had or not the subject of my interest. I chose SZTE because it was the best ranked university in Hungary and had a strong department in the field of research, I was interested in.

 How did you feel in Szeged? What was the most surprising experience for you from a cultural point of view?

 I genuinely felt very well in Szeged and I think it is a great city. I liked the fact that I could get anywhere by simply walking or riding a bike. There were three things on my mind before going to Szeged: people, the social aspects of society, and food. I can confidently say that I had a great experience in all three. People were friendly and I was positively surprised by the cuisine. I adapted well and enjoyed Hungarian food, learned a few recipes that I normally prepare until this day. I was also positively surprised by the number of international people at the university, it was great to interact with different cultures.

 Which were your favourite places during your university years in Szeged?

 I really enjoyed going for a run in the green area a few hundred meters behind the institute of Biology every day. I spend a lot of time either in the library or the lab of my former department. I really liked the BRC library or the university library but my time in the lab of my former department was the best. Back in Ecuador I did not have access to such facilities so I tried to make the most of it and networked with as many people as I could. On the other hand, I really liked visiting the food & vegetable street-market and in a way, it influenced me until this day. During my time in Szeged, I also had the chance to visit other places which enriched my overall experience. There are places that are very dear to me, for example Lake Balaton with its local restaurants and wineries and also the beautiful city of Budapest with a great opera house.

 What were the first things or stories what you told to your people about Hungary?

 I am a foodie and therefore the stories were always around food. Coming from Ecuador where the weather conditions are relatively constant over the year, I talked to family and friends about my experience with seasons. I found myself often talking about my experience with food in Hungary and how good something was. My experience in the Lake Balaton and the surroundings was great.

 If you would visit Szeged with your friends or family what would you like to show them definitely?

 There is a restaurant nearby the bridge over the Tisza River and they had the best fish soup in town. Széchenyi and Dóm Square are nice places to visit too.

 Is there anything that you might have taken from your experiences in Szeged that you have incorporated into your life at home?

 Back to food. Even though I live in Germany and I am Ecuadorian I incorporated Hungarian food into my diet very regularly. From the cultural perspective I also became more interested in classical music since my time in Hungary. I became more aware about the benefits of intercultural exchange.

Do you keep in touch with anyone you met here in Szeged?

 Most of my peers were internationals and we all went either back to our home countries or to other countries to pursue PhD studies. I am still in touch with my former supervisor and a few other colleagues from the department. I also keep in touch with other scientists from the University of Pannonia. My research experience in Hungary allowed me to build and expand my own scientific network until this day. I was lucky to make friends who were there as Erasmus scholars, and we are still in touch until today. Some of them are still in Europe.

What are your future plans, what do you want to do?

 I probably have too many but in my short and medium term plans I will continue to focus on how to use science in a practical way to make the best possible impact on the grand challenges of our time. I am particularly interested in science and entrepreneurship, and I truly believe that science is the key to unlock technical solutions to problems around health, food, and environment at global scale. I will continue to focus on food biotech with a particular emphasis on microbes and precision fermentation. In addition to that, I will continue to support research in Ecuador in any way that is possible. This includes mentoring students about studying abroad and lead the scientific strategy of ECARI, a non-profit research center in Ecuador I co-founded with other colleagues with international experiences to foster basic and applied research.

What would be your advice to the current international students at SZTE who are in your scientific field?

 Define clear and ambitious goals, stay focus, learn how and what to prioritize, execute well and work hard. I think that everything is possible if you work hard enough but also efficiently. Lastly, I would say, be open to opportunities, never stop learning and seek help when you do not know something or which direction to take.

Interviewer: Katinka Bakos