by Libuše Petržílková | Feb 3, 2026 | Alumni stories
My journey from a bilingual high school in Kyiv, Ukraine, to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at CTU Prague was driven by a desire to combine technical curiosity with meaningful impact on human health. I chose Biomedical Engineering as a bridge between medicine and engineering, embracing the challenges of studying in a new culture and language. From the very first semester, the collaborative student culture and supportive mentors shaped my growth academically and personally. Key experiences, such as my diploma thesis on heart rate variability, taught me the value of human-centered, simple solutions before building complex systems. Working as a tutor and engaging in research strengthened my analytical, organizational, and leadership skills, laying the foundation for a career in medical technology and biomedical signal processing. Today, I lead a team developing software that gives physicians deeper insight into cardiac signals, applying both technical expertise and human-focused problem solving. CTU provided not only education but also a community, mentorship, and opportunities that continue to influence my professional path.
What was your journey before being accepted to CTU in Prague, and what motivated you to study there?
My journey started in a bilingual English–Ukrainian gymnasium in Kyiv, Ukraine. From childhood, I dreamed of doing something meaningful — ideally work that contributes to saving people’s lives. Medicine attracted me emotionally, but my curiosity was always technical. I wanted to understand systems, mechanisms, and causes.
When thinking about my future studies, Biomedical Engineering became the most natural choice — a bridge between engineering and medicine. At that time, CTU in Prague was the only university in the Czech Republic offering this specialization, and since I strongly wanted to study abroad, it became the best possible option.
CTU represented rigorous engineering education, strong scientific foundations, and real-world relevance — exactly what I was looking for.
Did you experience any cultural shock during your preparatory year in the Czech Republic?
Yes, there was cultural shock, but it was something I expected.
What I encountered was a diverse environment. There were teachers who understood how demanding it is to study technical subjects in a non-native language and actively tried to help. Their support mattered a lot.
At the same time, there were also situations where my imperfect Czech was used as a reason to undervalue my knowledge. That contrast was challenging, but it taught me early on that academic systems are human systems — and therefore imperfect.
What made the difference was the people around me. Classmates, teachers, and colleagues who were willing to help created a sense of belonging and trust that shaped my relationship with CTU very positively.
How do you remember your first semester as a full-time student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering?
As an intense and emotional rollercoaster.
Academically, it was demanding, but I came well prepared. I had been one of the strongest students at my high school and already had a solid background in mathematics and physics, which helped me manage the workload.
What stands out most is the student culture. My fellow students helped each other constantly — studying together, explaining concepts, sharing materials. This collaborative spirit is deeply embedded at CTU.
Many of the people I met during my very first semester are still part of my professional network today, which I value greatly.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during your studies, and how did you manage to overcome it?
There were many challenges: adapting to a new culture, handling a heavy course load, earning money, and balancing work, studies, and personal life — all within limited time. Sleep was not a priority back then.
One of the most formative experiences was my diploma thesis on signal analysis of heart rate variability, supervised by Prof. Roman Cmejla.
To analyze HRV, I needed synchronized ECG and breathing data, and I wanted subjects to breathe in a defined pattern. My first instinct was purely technical — I wrote a small application (around 300 lines of code) to guide breathing. Half a year later, after many discussions with fellow students, I rewrote it into about 30 lines. Not because the task changed — but because my peers taught me how to think about programming more effectively.
And then came the most important lesson: we realized that in many cases, the best solution was not an application at all. When we simply explained the breathing pattern to people and asked them to follow it, the results were often better than with my carefully written app.
This experience stayed with me. It taught me that before building tools or systems, it is worth asking whether a simpler, more human solution already exists. Today, when I work with heart signals again and lead teams, I actively encourage this mindset: ask first, build second.
An even bigger challenge — and opportunity — came later with my postgraduate studies at the Physics Department of Faculty of Eletrical Engeneering (FEE) CTU.
Looking back, what were the biggest benefits or opportunities that CTU offered you as a student?
CTU offered me much more than education.
It gave me strong analytical thinking, exposure to real research, and — most importantly — people. I am still in contact with many former classmates and teachers, and I regularly return to my alma mater to exchange ideas, gain inspiration, and sometimes even seek research support for my current work.
I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and mentors at FEE CTU, including Dr. Vítězslav Kříha, doc. Jan Píchal, prof. S. Pekárek, prof. P. Kulhánek, and many others. They taught me not only physics and engineering, but also how to think critically, plan experiments, and approach complex problems with rigor and curiosity.
Had you the opportunity to work while studying? If yes, how did you balance work responsibilities with your academic workload?
Working during my studies was a necessity.
As a foreign student, finding qualified technical work was difficult, so I relied heavily on teaching. I tutored fellow students, younger classmates, and students from high schools and universities. Teaching became both financial support and a powerful learning experience.
CTU’s flexibility in course scheduling allowed me to combine work and studies. Some semesters, I worked two to five days a week, often including weekends. This period taught me resilience, prioritization, and responsibility — skills that later became essential in leadership roles.
Did those work experiences influence your later professional direction?
Yes, very strongly.
Through teaching, research projects, and collaborative work, I naturally stepped into roles that required explanation, coordination, and responsibility. I learned how people learn, how teams function, and where misunderstandings typically arise.
Later, working in research and development — both in startups and large companies — I repeatedly drew on my postgraduate experience in physics: experimental planning, hypothesis-driven thinking, and laboratory discipline.
Could you tell us more about your job—how it started and what it focuses on today?
My professional path started in medical technology, specifically in the development of intraocular lenses, where the goal was very tangible: restoring physical vision. That experience grounded me in regulated environments and showed me how deeply engineering decisions affect real people.
Later, driven by curiosity, I explored artificial intelligence and worked in an AI startup focused on music. Technically, it was interesting, but over time I realized that it lacked the sense of purpose I was looking for. I missed working on problems where technology directly supports human health and decision-making.
That realization led me back to signal processing and biomedical applications — to what I now describe as making eyes for the doctor. Today, I work on advanced medical software that processes and visualizes physiological signals, particularly cardiac signals, to give physicians insight into what is happening inside the body. In my current role, I lead a team developing software that allows doctors to “see” electrical activity sensed by a novel catheter used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
What connects all these stages is not the technology itself, but the intent: using engineering to make the invisible visible, and to support better decisions in critical moments. Over time, this focus naturally grew into leadership — coordinating people, translating research into practice, and building systems that are both technically sound and human-centered.
What advice or message would you like to share with future, current, and alumni students of CTU?
CTU will challenge you — but it will also give you people who matter.
Don’t rush to build complex solutions before understanding the problem. Ask questions. Talk to people. Help each other. The relationships you build here may become just as important as the knowledge itself.
Leadership does not start after graduation. It starts the moment you take responsibility — for your work, for others, and for the systems you are part of.
CTU is a place where that journey can truly begin.
by Libuše Petržílková | Jan 21, 2026 | Alumni stories
From studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Turkey to leading global product portfolios at Siemens, Amna Umul’s journey reflects engineering without borders. In this interview, she shares why shechose Czech Technical University in Prague for her master’s studies, how CTU’s collegial academic culture shaped her confidence and professional mindset, and how combining studies with industry work helpedher bridge theory and practice. Today, as Portfolio Manager for SINAMICS Drive Systems at Siemens AG, she focuses on digitalization, AI integration, and long-term portfolio strategy—offering valuable insightsfor students aspiring to build international engineering careers.
What was your journey before being accepted to CTU in Prague, and what motivated you to study there?
My academic journey began at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, where I studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering. During my undergraduate studies, I developed a strong interest in power systems and decided to pursue a master’s degree abroad to further specialize in this field.
Prague stood out as an ideal destination, as I had visited the city several times before and was drawn to its cultural richness and academic environment. The opportunity to study at Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague), a highly reputable institution, strongly motivated my decision. The availability of English-taught programs and scholarship opportunities further reinforced my choice. Additionally, Prague is home to the headquarters and major hubs of many international companies, offering excellent career prospects and a strong professional ecosystem for engineering graduates.
I completed my Master’s degree in Electrical Power Engineering at CTU in Prague, graduating with honors. This experience significantly strengthened my technical expertise and confirmed my motivation to study at an internationally recognized university while preparing for future professional opportunities in a global environment.
Did you experience any cultural shock during your preparatory year in the Czech Republic?
During my preparatory year in the Czech Republic, I did notice some cultural differences compared to my previous academic environment. One of the main observations was that there were relatively few female professors in my field, which was different from what I had experienced before.
I also became aware that social and professional roles tend to be more traditionally structured in Czech society. Recognizing these differences was part of the broader process of adjusting to a new cultural and academic context, and it helped me better understand how academic environments can vary across countries.
How do you remember your first semester as a full-time student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering?/ What was the biggest challenge you faced during your studies, and how did you manage to overcome it?
I remember my first semester as a full-time student at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering as an exciting period of adjustment and learning. Academically, it was motivating to engage with new subjects, advanced laboratory work, and different teaching approaches, which helped me gradually adapt to the faculty’s expectations.
At the same time, settling into a new country came with its own challenges. Navigating everyday life in a new environment, along with practical matters such as obtaining a residence permit and completing administrative procedures, required time and patience. These experiences were an important part of the transition and helped me become more independent and adaptable.
Overall, the first semester was a formative experience that combined academic growth with personal development and laid a solid foundation for the rest of my studies
Looking back, what were the biggest benefits or opportunities that CTU offered you as a student?
Looking back, one of the biggest benefits CTU offered me as a student was the academic culture and the way professors interacted with us. From the beginning, I was grateful for being treated not just as a student, but as a colleague and an equal. This approach created an environment of mutual respect and open dialogue.
The professors were consistently supportive, approachable, and encouraging, which made it easier to ask questions, exchange ideas, and take intellectual risks. Being trusted and respected in this way significantly boosted my confidence, and it naturally made me feel more responsible, independent, and brave in both my academic work and personal development.
Overall, this supportive and collegial atmosphere at CTU played a crucial role in shaping my mindset as an engineer and helped me grow not only technically, but also professionally and personally.
Had you the opportunity to work while studying? If yes, how did you balance work responsibilities with your academic workload?
Yes, I had the opportunity to work while studying. I was employed at Eaton, and I completed my master’s thesis in collaboration with the company, which allowed me to closely connect my academic work with realworld engineering practice.
Balancing work responsibilities alongside my studies was not always easy, but it became manageable with careful planning and time discipline. Making a realistic schedule and sticking to it helped me stay on track with both academic deadlines and professional commitments. Of course, every now and then it was tempting to get carried away by social and extracurricular activities, which occasionally meant pulling an allnighter to catch up. 😊
Could you tell us more about your job—how it started and what it focuses on today?
My professional journey began at the intersection of engineering, product development, and energy systems, and it has gradually evolved toward portfolio ownership and strategic responsibility within Siemens.
My first industry experience was in R&D at Eaton in the Czech Republic, where I participated in the Engineering and Technology Leadership Program and worked on residential DC microgrids involving energy storage solutions. This role gave me a strong technical foundation and handson exposure to emerging energy technologies. I later transitioned into a Junior Product Manager role at COMAP, focusing on product lifecycle management and development of hybrid microgrid controllers and protection relays, which marked my shift from purely technical work toward product responsibility.
I then joined Siemens s.r.o. in the Czech Republic as a Product Manager for SINAMICS G Drives, a role in which my responsibilities expanded significantly. I worked on both current and nextgeneration continuous motion drive portfolios, covering hardware and software components such as control units and operator panels, as well as IIoT solutions enabling highfrequency data streaming from drives to edge and cloud environments. In addition, I was responsible for the SINAMICS G pool firmware and contributed to defining the software business strategy for the SINAMICS G portfolio.
In 2022, I moved to Siemens plc in the United Kingdom as a Service Portfolio Manager for Digital Services, where my focus shifted further toward digitalization and brownfield connectivity. I led initiatives such as the Brownfield Connectivity Gateway for drives and the Digitalization Check, helping customers modernize existing installations and unlock datadriven value from legacy assets.
Building on this experience, I joined Siemens AG in Germany as a Product Portfolio Manager, taking responsibility for the full Brownfield Connectivity Gateway portfolio and serving as Portfolio Workstream Lead for the Automation Connectivity Portfolio as well. This role required close coordination across business units, aligning technology roadmaps, product strategies, and market needs on a broader organizational level.
Since November 2025, I have been promoted to Portfolio Manager for SINAMICS Drive Systems at Siemens AG. In this role, I am responsible for strategic portfolio leadership and longterm roadmap definition, ensuring strong alignment between customer requirements, digitalization trends, and Siemens’ overall motion control strategy. A key focus of my work is the integration of digitalization and AI technologies into drive systems to enable smarter, more efficient, and futureready motion solutions.
Across all roles, the common thread of my career has been bridging technology, business, and people to deliver scalable, sustainable, and futureproof solutions.
What advice or message would you like to share with future, current, and alumni students of CTU?
Firstly, embrace AI early. Learning to work with AI is no longer optional. Developing this skill now will be essential across almost every field in the future. More Importantly, focus on people and self‑awareness. Meet people, listen to different perspectives, and build meaningful connections, while also taking time to understand yourself. Slow down, spend time alone, and reflect—university life is not only about becoming a professional, but about becoming more conscious, grounded, and human.
