00:00If there is one quote I find quite inspiring is to learn to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
00:08Doing research here, you still have to spend long nights.
00:11Sometimes the experiments don't work as you wish.
00:13We go into risky research areas and you really do not know if the outcome is going to be a
00:19successful one or not.
00:20So learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations can really push you to levels you never dreamt of.
00:28Two decades ago, the idea of becoming a leading scientist in Germany would have seemed far removed from Dr. Charles
00:35Sotieno Ogola's reality.
00:37He grew up in Kenya with a strong interest in education and acutely aware of the financial constraints his family
00:44faced.
00:45But that did not hold me back. I had my dreams and I really pursued them heavily.
00:51And I used to know that education would pay off one day.
00:57That belief set him on a path that would eventually lead to Germany in 2016, where he joined the University
01:04of Ziegen, located in the state of North Rhine, Westphalia.
01:08Today, the 36-year-old is among the lead researchers at its Center for Nano Analytics, Nano Chemistry, and Cyber
01:16Physical Sensor Technologies.
01:18Backed by more than $100 million in state funding, the Center provides advanced infrastructure designed to support high-level scientific
01:26research.
01:27Ogola's work focuses on improving energy storage, specifically how small modification at the microscopic level can significantly enhance battery performance.
01:38So, let's take an example that maybe you're familiar with at home.
01:42Here's a single battery.
01:45Maybe you require two to power your simple torch at home.
01:50But if you could get, for the same needs, just a single battery, then you'd save on costs.
01:56And you'd also save and reduce the need to mine more materials to prepare more of such kind of batteries.
02:03He uses highly specialized microscopes to observe atomic structures within batteries.
02:09His experiments are conducted under cryogenic conditions, allowing scientists to better understand how chemical systems behave at nanoscale.
02:18Ogola's work has broader implications.
02:20Many everyday batteries rely on materials such as lithium and cobalt, which are largely mined in countries like the Democratic
02:27Republic of Congo.
02:28So, my contribution to getting efficient battery systems would then reduce the need for the essential elements that are in
02:37here, such as lithium and cobalt, therefore reducing the pressure and the mining needs.
02:43Improved energy storage technologies are central to advancing energy security and supporting green economies.
02:50Ogola believes that African scientists must play a leading role in developing these solutions.
02:55And he is clear about what's needed to make that possible.
02:59Support, in my view, is infrastructure.
03:02For instance, you see the tools we have here, this cost quite a lot of money.
03:06And therefore, it's not only academia, also the governments need to come in and support research heavily.
03:15Ogola recently reached a major academic milestone, defending his PhD with the highest distinction, summa cum laude.
03:22He is the first researcher at the center in Ziegen to achieve this honor.
03:27So, how did he do it?
03:28For me, the language was a key factor.
03:31I took one year off just to master the language.
03:33And it opened quite a lot of doors because now I could really integrate into the society.
03:38Now this means where I needed support, I could really express myself properly.
03:42And now I could reach out where I needed support.
03:45And this is important.
03:46We need the support.
03:47The father of one believes that his journey from Kisumu in Kenya to one of Europe's most advanced science labs
03:53shows that Africa scientists can lead in the green energy race.
03:58We'll see you next time.
03:59You
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