The railway business: Fresh technologies, booming industry and international environment

Who: 
Pavlos Alexandridis is originally from Greece, where he acquired a diploma in civil engineering following the transportation study line. He finished his MSc in Transport & Logistics at DTU in 2016.

Pavlos currently works for Thales as a Verification and Validation engineer in the Fjernbane Signalling Programme.

How did you end up in Denmark – and at DTU?
After obtaining a diploma in civil engineering from Greece, Pavlos was especially interested in transport studies. Setting up some strict academic criteria while also wanting to live in a European capital with high standards for both life and future career prospects, he found and applied at the DTU MSc programme in Transport & Logistics. And two and a half years later, he cannot think of a choice that would have fulfilled better these criteria.

"It was actually a combination of different reasons that brought me here. When I completed my diploma studies, I decided to boost further my academic knowledge by following a master program in a technical university with a global perspective."

Pavlos has had no significant problems with moving his studies and career to another country. DTU is a university with a global vision where the international dimension is of vital importance. The university invites more than 500 non-Danish speaking MSc students per year and all MSc courses are taught exclusively in English. So the language has never been a problem.

The international perspective of the university can be also seen in many businesses, Pavlos finds:
"Danish companies have become global market players while several multinational ones are involved in projects within the country. A prime example of the latter is the railway sector. Mainly due to the major railway projects that run in Denmark nowadays, railway companies steadily expand their international profile and transform Copenhagen into a top destination for a flourishing international career."

So why the railway business – where does your interest come from?
Pavlos puts the following key words on his interest: Fresh technologies, booming industry, international environment, promising career opportunities but many challenges as well. 

However, he admits that railways, as his main topic of interest, were not always a part of the plan:
"I can say that during my studies, my interests, and thus focus, have been modified several times. New topics, courses, projects and of course people, have contributed a lot in these changes (….). A background embedded in different fields that led to railways and made me even more confident about my decisions and career prospects.

"Arriving in Denmark and the MSc programme, he knew from the very first days though, that it was his intention to follow a career within the railway industry. He took courses mainly provided by the Railway Technology and Traffic Planning study lines supplemented with some courses in optimization. And it has been a good decision, according to Pavlos:

"Now, being within the industry, I can confidently say that the skills Ι acquired are of high importance for my future career."

Pavlos’ MSc thesis project dealt with the risk assessment of Automatic Train Control systems. Among others, the main focus was on the development of a railway signalling-specific hazard identification method that would be applicable in all such systems while fulfil all necessary acceptance and efficiency criteria.

And this project has kept him in Denmark and a job at Thales as a Verification and Validation engineer.

Do you have any advice to other students – Danish and international - who are about to choose their line of studies?
Pavlos’ advice is that students first and foremost follow their interests, while keep a constant eye on new challenges and opportunities. Of course such interests should preferably come with the corresponding choices regarding programmes, courses and projects. And if all these are oriented towards railways, a bright career is ahead!

His choice of studies made him attractive for the industry – this Pavlos is sure of:
"It seems that the acquired, by both my diploma and MSc studies, knowledge made me an attractive candidate for the transport industry."

Pavlos is not a big fan of strict life plans. However, it is his plan to seek a flourishing career within the railway sector – and he expects that Copenhagen will be his basis for at least the next few years. And that’s one of the very few disadvantages of the city, if you ask him. That it has so many advantages that it’s almost impossible to find a better destination….