Pinoy PhD student in Finland wins research pitch competition in Sweden

Elijah Mark Garcia credits sabayang pagbigkas and PPT presentations in elementary for helping him win.

A Filipino doctoral student has won a research pitch competition in Stockholm in Sweden—crediting poetry recitals, sabayang pagbigkas, and classroom reporting since elementary for helping prepare him for the moment.

Elijah Mark Garcia, who is pursuing his PhD at Aalto University in Finland, won the Marcus Wallenberg Prize Young Researchers’ Three Minute Thesis Pitch earlier this week.

“From school performances and classroom presentations to pitching my research on a global stage… sino ba naman ang mag-aakala?!” Garcia wrote in an Oct. 23 Facebook post. “Apparently, lahat ng pinagdaanang kaba sa pagpe-perform at pagpe-present ay may pinatutunguhan pala!”

From chemistry to sustainable materials

According to his ResearchGate profile, Garcia is a doctoral researcher at Aalto University working at the intersection of lignocellulosic materials and mechanochemistry.

His research focuses on modifying lignin—a natural component of plant cell walls—into functional materials using reactive extrusion and solvent-minimized processing. He is interested in green chemistry, mechanochemical approaches, and scalable methods for developing sustainable materials from biopolymers.

Garcia’s academic background spans chemistry, materials science, and sustainable bioengineering. According to his LinkedIn profile, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Ateneo de Manila University in 2019, graduating cum laude, and later pursued a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering at the same university.

He also took part in the international Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree program in Biological and Chemical Engineering for a Sustainable Bioeconomy, studying at Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne in France, TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia, and Aalto University.

A global gathering of young researchers

The pitch competition was part of an event that brought together 31 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from 20 universities around the world. Garcia represented Aalto University at the gathering.

Participants learned from research institutions, startups and industry leaders, exchanged ideas with fellow early-career scientists, and engaged with experts in wood science and forestry.

The event was held in connection with the Marcus Wallenberg Prize, an international award recognizing advances in forest-based industries and wood science.

Garcia said it’s considered the Nobel Prize of the discipline, with this year’s recipient being German professor Holger Militz for his work on wood protection technologies.

Garcia said he also attended the gala dinner honoring Militz, held in the presence of Sweden’s Prince and Princess.

More than a competition win

For Garcia, the experience meant more than winning a pitch competition.

“It was a reminder of how exciting it is to be a young scientist, to share the work we do, to learn from people across the globe, and to realize that our research can be part of something bigger than ourselves,” he wrote.

The milestone also prompted him to reflect on the journey from school performances to presenting research on an international stage.

“Still taking it all in,” he wrote. “Still feeling incredibly grateful. And still wondering how the kid who used to memorize poems and perform in front of a classroom ended up here.”

He thanked the people who had supported and mentored him along the way, ending his announcement with a nod to the school activities that helped him become comfortable in front of an audience.

“PPT presentations and sabayang pagbigkas supremacy!!! HAHAHAHA!” he said, adding a link to where people can watch his winning pitch.

Away from the lab, Garcia’s LinkedIn profile states that he enjoys playing volleyball and traveling.

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