Before coming to Lithuania, Muhammad Haris was advised to prepare for differences. Those around him, encouraged resilience and reminded him that the culture, climate, and daily life would feel unfamiliar, while mentors advised him to approach the new environment with openness and respect. He also wondered: would the environment be culturally welcoming? Would his religious background be accepted? Moving from Pakistan to a small Baltic country felt like leaving certainty behind.
“Despite all my initial worries, I found Lithuanians to be incredibly open-hearted and welcoming. The community accepted me wholeheartedly, far exceeding my imagination,” shares Muhammad.
Turning Sunlight into Hydrogen
This brought him to Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), where he is now pursuing his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Sigitas Tamulevičius.
The primary challenge of green hydrogen is making the process fast and efficient enough for industrial use. “By improving how light interacts with materials during the reaction, I want to accelerate hydrogen production and make the technology more practical for real-world energy systems,” says KTU PhD student.
Experiencing a Different Research Culture in Japan
There he collaborated with local researchers on developing layered two-dimensional materials integrated with graphene, studying how electrical charges move through them. This work is important for improving energy conversion efficiency, a key factor in producing green hydrogen at a practical scale.
Such experience also exposed him to a very different research culture. “In Japan, I noticed a profound culture of meticulous precision and structured discipline,” he says. Laboratory work followed highly organised procedures, and attention to detail was central at every stage.
Back in Lithuania, Muhammad found a different approach, describing the research environment at KTU as more flexible and collaborative, a perspective shared by Dr Farrukh Naseem Qureshi who helped him understand these institutional strengths. Experiencing both systems helped him develop a broader perspective on how scientific work can be organised. “I have learned to balance the precision of Japanese methodology with the scientific flexibility found in Lithuania,” he reflects.
