Hamed Talebian joins International Research School at Mid Sweden University

Hamed Talebian, who originally is from Iran, completed his Master's studies at Tampere University in Finland, specializing in IT in communication systems and networks. While in Tampere, he sought opportunities to study abroad and began exploring his options.

− I came across Prof. Mikael Gidlund on LinkedIn and discovered that he and his team were conducting research in localization and positioning technologies for industrial IoT applications and they are interested in developing data-driven approaches in this area. This was exactly in line with my interests, so I reached out to Mikael to see if it would be possible to visit as an exchange student, tells Hamed. 

A strong team of supervisors

− Mikael found a Nordic scholarship that made it possible for me to come here and complete my Master’s thesis as an exchange student. My thesis focused on non-line-of-sight signal detection for positioning accuracy enhancement on the indoor factory channel propagation scenarios. Now, I’m continuing my PhD studies in this area, working with my supervisors to narrow down my research focus.

− I have three supervisors, Main supervisor is Prof. Mikael Gidlund, with  Aamir Mahmood as my co-supervisor here at the university. Additionally, Peter Karlsson at u-blox is my industrial supervisor, bringing his extensive experience from prestigious companies. Peter also joins us as an adjunct professor, and we are awaiting fresh collaborations with him inside the university. I’m fortunate to have such a strong team around me because no one can do this alone. One of my first assignments was to travel to Malmö to meet Peter and his team at u-blox.

Part of the new initiative – IRS Trans Tech

Hamed is part of the international research school - IRS TransTech, which means that his teams not only includes industrial partner but also an international collaborator, TH OWL – Technische Horchschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe.  

− I will spend one year of my PhD-Studies abroad, at the Research institute Fraunhofer IOSB-INA in Lemgo, Germany, where Guest Prof. Jürgen Jasperneite is the director. I´m very motivated to visit Germany later on. 

Moving to Sweden was one of the main reasons Hamed applied for the position at Mid Sweden University. 

− When this position opened it was like listening to an orchestra for me, every element was there. It was in the right research field, with well known supervisors and research teams, and a country that appeals to me. I fell in love with Sweden, it has so many great aspects such as Nobel Prize, gender equality and one of my childhood favorites, Astrid Lindgren, who wrote Pippi Longstocking. I really love the city as well. I have lived in a metropolitan city for several years, where you can’t really do anything—you're always on a train or waiting for a taxi. But here, you have time to focus both on your work and on your hobbies. The city was a crucial factor for me as well.

Although Hamed has just started his PhD position, he is already looking forward to a future academic career.

− I’m really excited about pursuing an academic career. The university gives me the freedom to learn and develop both my theoretical and practical skills, and to meet interesting people from various fields. It suits my personality, but you never know where the future will take you, Hamed concludes.