The adventure of "useless" knowledge

Junior studied a Master's Degree at the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) and then began his doctorate in the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Tecnun. "After studying at the School of Engineering at the University of Yaoundé (Cameroon), I realized that what I liked most was teaching, giving classes," he says. "Over the years, I have also realized that what is most urgent there, in Cameroon in particular and in Africa in general, is to invest in Education."

For the past four years, Junior has been working on a technology called 'Chipless RFID'. "Imagine a bar code, but instead of being read optically, it is read with electromagnetic waves," he explains. "This has many advantages, for example, it can be read even if there are obstacles in front of it, as long as they are not metallic. This is an identification technology with many applications.

"To do a doctorate you have to have very clear ideas. Maybe not about the topic, but about the why. To undertake this adventure, one must have a disinterested love of knowledge, of 'useless' knowledge, even if it is a very internship thesis , such as those in engineering. You have to like to think about things over and over again," he says. Perhaps for that reason, because Junior really likes Philosophy, reflecting on issues and sharing different points of view with people to reach a better understanding of reality, the doctorate was not difficult for him: "Yes, there have been moments of great pressure due to a submission ," he admits, "but it has been a great few years. Maybe because of the thesis supervisors I had and all the time they dedicated to me. I came out of each work session with them, Idoia Ochoa and Javier Díaz, with a greater desire to work," he says. "The thesis defense was a moment of real enjoyment. It is difficult to synthesize the work of four years in 45 minutes of presentation, but, again, the support of my thesis directors made it possible. The memory I have of the thesis is that of a conversation with them, from which even more interesting perspectives were emerging".

Junior also enjoyed the computer science practicals he has given to first-year students as part of his partnership professor. "Seeing a student s face light up because she finally understands a concept after the umpteenth attempt at explanation is one of the most rewarding things about these years of doctorate," he says. 

Along with the 181 other new doctors who have defended their thesis during this academic year, Junior will receive his biretta on June 6. He will then return to Cameroon to set up schools based not only on academic excellence, but also on values. "I want to offer training that touches all dimensions of the person: intellect, heart and will," he explains. "Above all, my passion is Education, transmitting knowledge, or rather, helping people to learn," he concludes.