Dear FCL Community,
This week’s newsletter offers me the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Kamila, and I joined FCL in November as a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich and the coordinator of the Circular Future Cities module.
The FCL community is vibrant, international, and interdisciplinary, much like my career so far. I have lived in several countries and gained experience across multiple fields. Despite pursuing a degree in technical physics and even venturing into financial audit for a while, I discovered my true passion in industrial ecology.
Industrial ecology forms the foundation of much of the research on sustainability and the circular economy. At its core is a systemic perspective that examines human societies as if they were biological organisms—requiring resources at a given metabolic rate to thrive. Using methods such as material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, industrial ecology allows us to model resource flows and environmental impacts associated with human activities.
During my PhD, I studied the consumption of consumer products, focusing on strategies to extend product lifetimes and reduce environmental impacts. This research involved close collaboration with social scientists, which, while challenging due to differing academic vocabularies and perspectives, led to valuable new insights.
In my future work, I aim to gain further interdisciplinary experience by studying circularity measures in the construction sector. I look forward to engaging with all of you at upcoming FCL Global events and exploring opportunities for collaboration.
Wishing you a happy weekend,
Kamila Krych
