Lost in Uppsala (not in direction, hopefully not in research)

Hej! This is Budz again.

I've spent the last two weeks getting lost at Uppsala University, not literally lost (thanks, Google Maps!) but lost in its incredible history and atmosphere. I want to express my huge thanks to the Musha Shugyo Program of the School of Engineering, UTokyo, for this incredible opportunity, and of course, to Prof. Giuliano Di Baldassarre for his hospitality and guidance.

 

 Two seasons within two weeks in Uppsala? Feb 25 vs. Mar 5

My short stay in Uppsala provided a vital external lens for my PhD research. The feedback from Prof. Di Baldassarre and LUVS has been instrumental in refining my direction. Moving forward, we have identified two key research gaps to tackle: (1) challenging the homogeneity assumption in current socio-hydrologic models by integrating survey data to capture the diverse impacts and recovery patterns of exposed communities, (2) conducting sensitivity compilation on various economic loss models within flood risk monetary estimation. I'm in awe of how most researchers I met here share a genuine curiosity for connecting scientific findings to the community, whether through socio-economic assessments or policy recommendations.

While my primary mission was gaining feedback on my research, I've been using my breaks to get lost with the history of this country. Founded in 1477, Uppsala is the oldest university in Scandinavia, the home of legends like Anders Celsius and Carl Linnaeus. I'm amazed by how they have preserved the past, from the ancient architecture to the vast library collections. I visited the Uppsala Domkyrka, the largest cathedral in Scandinavia, and the Botaniska trädgården , where it was impressive to see tropical plants thriving even in the Swedish climate!

Since Stockholm is only a 40-minute train ride away, I even managed to sneak in on a sunny Sunday exploring Gamla Stan and the Vasa Museum.

Everything here feels brand new to me, and I've tried my best to capture every moment. Since I can't upload everything (as much as I'd like to 😂 HAHA), I've put together a one-minute reel of my Uppsala and Stockholm solo adventures. Please be kind just tried it today ✌️LOL

I hope you enjoy it, and I promise to share more in my next blog! Perhaps about the Fika culture and the conference that coincidentally took place in Uppsala during my stay!