Princess Cabotaje, a Filipina scholar based in Sweden, recently won 1,500 euros in the Coimbra Group’s 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held in Turku, Finland. She was one of three finalists and emerged victorious among nearly a hundred European scholars. Her winning thesis, “Learning from Nature: Turning Air Into Electricity,” explores the use of hydrogenases as a potential green energy source.
In her presentation, Cabotaje explained the significance of her research in a way that resonated with a broad audience, saying in a PhilSTAR L!fe report, “It’s an honor to present the significance of hydrogenases in an accessible manner to a broader audience—one that even the technical crew backstage understood!”
Cabotaje shared her excitement about the potential applications of her work: “I still can’t believe that this is possible, but it is possible. Although this is still in the nascent stage, maybe centuries later, this will become a reality and people will use this in their daily lives.”
Cabotaje’s journey to becoming a PhD student in chemistry at Uppsala University was marked by perseverance through numerous rejections. She credits her supervisor for giving her a chance, which she describes as crucial to her success.
In addition to her rigorous academic schedule, Cabotaje is involved with GradMAP Philippines, a grassroots organization that assists Filipino students with applications for higher education abroad. She emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, which has been instrumental in her success. “I think it’s valid because how can you do the best of your work if you are burned out or you don’t have the mental and physical capacity to do your best job?” she remarked.
For aspiring scholars, Cabotaje advises finding a passion that truly inspires. “Find something that inspires you or is interesting for you because everything else will follow,” she suggests.
