Pempa Tshering BHUTIA

I grew up climbing trees and running in slippers through the northeastern hills of Sikkim and Pedong, India. Nature was my first teacher, instilling in me a curiosity to explore the WHYs, HOWs and WHATs of life.
If you grew up a “smart” kid, you were expected to study Medicine or Engineering. However, I had an affinity for Chemistry and pursued my undergraduate studies at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, India. I met students from all over the country learning both through academics and personal growth. Through my college network, I came to know about Erasmus Mundus MESC Master’s program specializing in Energy Storage and Conversion. I applied, got selected and spent the best two years of my life studying in Poland, France and Slovenia.
Currently, I am a doctoral researcher still navigating the WHYs, HOWs and WHATs – now through the lens of Sodium-Ion Battery Safety. I use calorimetric techniques at both component and cell levels to understand the thermal and chemical threats of this emerging technology. I work at the intersection of a startup, a research lab and a company, each contributing their expertise as we try to understand the trends, ensure reproducibility and publish our findings.
I am just a normal guy who enjoys reading literature and writing scientific papers. I would like to thank the DESTINY program for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this amazing network, where I am building lifelong personal and professional relationships.
Every generation upliftment starts from a single leap. For me, it was when my parents sent me to Delhi to pursue my studies, and ever since, things have been moving in my favor. Still, I would like to take my chances and see where life takes me because in fifteen years from now on, I could be a professor, working in industry, a farmer…. or just dust. So, let’s take that first step, and regret later instead of wondering “What if”. If you are different, that is your strength, not your weakness and the world will find a way to accommodate you.