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Somewhere between Maastricht and Brightlands

Brightlands news

What attracts international students to Limburg? And what does the Brightlands ecosystem mean for their education, research and future? In this series, we speak with students from all over the world who are shaping their careers at or through Brightlands. Ira Berg is one of these students.

Ira Berg grew up in Germany, near Bremen. Since this is pretty far from Limburg, she doesn’t go home often, she says. She spends her weekends with friends in Maastricht and on her balcony full of plants. During the week, she may be found at Brightlands Chemelot Campus for her master’s programme in Biobased Materials (Maastricht University). In this programme, she studies how to apply natural polymers in electronics, such as sensors or flexible phone components – materials that may also be safely broken down after use.

Learning from nature

Currently in the second year of her master’s degree programme, Ira is doing an internship at the Aachen-Maastricht Institute for Biobased Materials (AMIBM) at Brightlands. Even though there aren’t many plants to be found in the lab—unlike on her balcony—her research has everything to do with nature. “Plants and other biological systems are so smart; they produce efficient structures with very few materials. They can protect themselves without plastic. These are the type of principles we want to apply to new, sustainable materials.”

By studying biological processes and analysing which materials aren’t biodegradable yet, Ira is developing new alternatives during her internship. “Polymers are a type of plastic. They can possess all sorts of properties: they can be fully biodegradable, for example, or made from recycled raw materials—or both. I’m studying how we can use these biopolymers for applications such as electronics. This demands both creativity and precision, and it’s constantly changing.”

 

A little in between

Ira has been interested in natural polymers for quite a while and has also worked with bio-based materials in the past. AMIBM’s international character is a good fit for her. “Many of the professors are German, and the collaboration with RWTH Aachen means that you’re truly working between two countries. It’s a familiar feeling for me.”

And yet, sometimes she doesn’t feel completely at home as a student at the campus. “Our programmeis given at Brightlands, but everything is organised by the university in the city. As a result, we don’t really belong anywhere. The other day, for example, they forgot to include us in the invitations to the FSE Gala...”

Portrait Ira Berg

Studying surrounded by plants and cappuccinos

It’s difficult to find a quiet study spot at Brightlands, so Ira has to look elsewhere. Depending on her mood, she studies in the library, on her own balcony or in a café. Her favorite café is Espresso Quartier on Tongersestraat in Maastricht. “It’s run by friends of mine. It’s new and has a warm atmosphere; I love it there.”

She loves spending her free time on her balcony. “Last year I filled it with potted plants, flowers and herbs - it really was my little oasis. I loved taking care of my plants; just doing something with my hands. Now, with my thesis and internship, I don’t get around to it as much. As soon as I have more time, I’ll start over; back to planting, pruning and watering.”

 

A future in Limburg?

She’s not sure yet if she’ll stay in Limburg after graduation. “It depends on the type of research and whether I see opportunities here. However, it would be nice to have a place where I could continue to build—on sustainable materials but also on a house and garden full of plants.”


Source: Brightlands news

"The collaboration with RWTH Aachen means that you’re truly working between two countries. It’s a familiar feeling for me."

Ira Berg

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