Yusra Zireeni Bio
Where do you call home? Can you describe it?
My first home will always be in that small neighborhood where my immortal childhood memories were created, namely Khala’il el-Ubeid, in Kafr Qara village.
In that small bubble where your identity is not negotiable, when you don’t feel the need to put effort to adapt, and when you get remediated and supported without even asking.
That special home is where I experienced all the shades of the four seasons, and the true meaning of social solidarity. Surfing in my memory archive, I find it very colorful, noisy, fragrant, and delicious. Some activities I was very lucky to experience as a child, will never be experienced again, like watching my grandmother baking on a wood fire, my father milking a goat before the dusk, the collective dinners at the mosques, or a neighbor entering our house to help cook and clean without expecting to be paid.
Getting out to volunteer in the village and interact with the society as a teenager, I found that most of the citizens in the village are highly educated, and remarkable ideals to be proud of and follow.
On a journey for constructing my future, I will not accept another home less than mine.
What are some of your personal interests and hobbies?
I cook and bake, paint, play tennis table and billiards, karaoke singer and a piano player (beginner).
What is your biggest personal achievement so far?
Convincing my conservative father to allow his eldest child, his daughter (which is something very precious to an Arab man) to leave the whole country and live alone in the UK, without a daily communication.
What is the title of your PhD project? Can you explain it to a non-academic?
“Exploring the role of sulphur in slurry acidification and its effect on the nutrients dynamics”
There is one element, that’s artificially added to the animal manures before the application to the crops, it is important to learn the effect of this addition, if it is sustainable and can always be a good addition or not.
What drives your interest in bio-based fertilisers?
Through my career as an agronomist at the ministry of agriculture in Israel, I noticed that most farmers rely majorly on mineral fertilisers and agro-technologies, while the small-scale farmers and the conventional ones, always preferred to amend their fields with bio-based fertilisers before sowing or the plantation of the seedlings. There I felt that the reason for using a bio-based is merely economic and fewer efforts were made to understand what lies in this bio-based complex. There is absolutely a vast knowledge needed to be incorporated into the agricultural traditions everywhere.
Describe your experience with the FertiCycle ITN so far?
My experience with the FertiCycle ITN consortium I could say is the enjoyable part of my PhD. It’s rewarding to become a part of a valuable and well-structured consortium, that shows readiness and flexibility for collaboration.
What would you say are the benefits of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellowship?
It is such a great opportunity to lay a hand on a wide international network. Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Fellowship gave me the stage and the highlight to show my capabilities.
The variety of people you meet, who all come from valuable backgrounds, it’s just an impressive opportunity. I definitely feel lucky, and really hope to get a position following my PhD.
How has the experience traveling abroad for this program been for you?
Traveling abroad is the game changer for me. Even though it’s not always smooth, but self-sufficiency always follows. If travelled back in time, I would have repeated this experience again.