Lettre de Motivation pour un doctorat

Dear Prof. de Rassenfosse,

I would like to apply for the call “PhD position at the CMD in Economics”, briefly presenting below my professional experiences and motivation to this application.

I am a civil engineer with a Master Degree of Advanced Studies in Water Resources Management and Engineering, which I obtained from EPFL in 2007. I have over 13 years of experience in project management and development, both in Brazil and in Switzerland. I worked for 2 years in Switzerland while studying at the Laboratoire de Constructions Hidrauliques (LCH) at EPFL. After that, I worked for 5 years in the development of several projects for the mining industry in Brazil. In the following 4 years, I coordinated an engineering team in the development of projects of Small Hydropower Plants and general infrastructure.

After several years of professional experience in the hydroelectric sector in Brazil, I realized how difficult it is to suggest measures that can lead to a more efficient and conscious use of natural resources. In general, these suggestions are rejected because they do not seem financially attractive. Looking at this PhD position call and reading the EPFL article “NRP 73 grant for Prof. de Rassenfosse”, I realized that the lack of consistent public policies in Brazil is one factor that contributed to the difficulties mentioned above. The other aspect cited in the article completes the scenario, since without making it easier the access to funding, the public policies alone can only potentially reduce the economy growth.

I am deeply interested in improving my knowledge in the economic aspects of engineering and technology, gaining a broader view of its different aspects, including government policies, alternative financing models and other factors that can lead to a cleaner and sustainable economy growth. I’m really eager to broaden my perspective and go beyond the viewpoint of single projects. I believe this experience will help me develop the technical and economic capability to see beyond the immediate interests of the stakeholders, understanding the wider benefits it might bring to a country’s economic, cultural and social spheres, let alone its impact on the environment as a whole.

Meanwhile, and within the context of expanding my skills, I am attending to several courses and programs focused on innovative and sustainable businesses. For instance, I’m taking an International Executive MBA during the weekends. I’m also attending to a course on Global Environmental Change as a special postgraduate student at the Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC. I am a volunteer in the Rede Mulher Empreendedora – RME (Entrepreneurial Woman Network), a program that promotes empowerment and motivation for entrepreneurship.  I’m supporting the SDGs – Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations in a volunteer work in the city where I live. Next month I will participate in a Startup Weekend event (54 hours of sharing ideas, forming teams and creating startups), in which I will be working on topics such as Business Models, Minimum Viable Products, Lean Startups, and Customer development.

I believe I’m a good fit for this PhD position and that I have a lot to contribute. I’m excited to study cleantech startups, especially the financial aspects that can make them viable. These kind of projects are essential for the sustainable development of the world economy in the coming years.

Although I do not have a strong background in economics or finance, I am sure I am able to learn what is required for this PhD research project. I am willing to accept very different challenges to accomplish my professional goals. I’m sure that with my background in civil engineering, I can contribute to the understanding of the needs and difficulties of other countries such as mine, which can certainly contribute to the risk analysis and development of new export markets.

...