I grew up in São Paulo in Brazil and always knew I wanted an education in hard science. I have a master’s degree in Chemistry from Universidade de São Paulo with a research internship at the University of York, finalizing my PhD in catalysis in Brazil in 2004. I worked at Braskem in Brazil for 9 years before deciding I needed to try something new.

I knew I had better chances of finding the perfect job in Europe, so I sent applications and used my network and LinkedIn to find opportunities. Then Norner had an opening, and after an initial interview online, I was invited to come to Norway for an interview in person.

My wife did not want to move away from her family and friends, but when I was offered the job in 2019, she agreed to give it a go. Luckily, she could do her job in IT from Norway, so the change was not too overwhelming for her. We decided to send our daughter to a local school, as we felt this gave her the best chances of being successfully integrated.

My wife and daughter are so happy here, and they are the most important aspects of my life. Norway is a calm and spacious place to live, with great balance between work and family life. Norner gives me the opportunity to work with highly educated people, and even though we have different positions and experience we learn from one another.

We may speak different languages, but we have a scientific understanding in common. My best advice for someone moving to a new country is to start with an unbiased and open mind attitude. Travel and make your own experiences, be open for making new connections. It could be the best thing you ever do.

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