On Saturday, January 18th, we held our New Year’s meeting with our PhD students. The morning began with a session dedicated to providing students with general information, including an overview of upcoming events organized by the ITI HiFunMat.
Following this, Madeline Vauthier introduced the Egal’ITI committee and presented the mentoring program (https://hifunmat.unistra.fr/mentoring/mentors) offered by ITI HiFunMat. Her talk set the stage for an informative presentation by Gilles Ulrich, director of the Chemistry Doctoral School, who discussed possible funding sources for Master students interested in doing a PhD and shared valuable tips on navigating websites to find funding opportunities.
The second half of the morning was structured around two roundtable discussions. The first roundtable focused on career paths after a master’s degree. It featured Swann Schmitt (Quality Control & Analytical Development Assistant Engineer), Antoine Egelé (CNRS Engineer), and Sakina Mammadova (HiFunMat labeled PhD student).
After sharing a traditional Galette des Rois, the second roundtable commenced, showcasing diverse professional perspectives. Speakers included Guillermo Monreal Santiago (Associate Professor at the University of Strasbourg), Carlotta Figliola (CNRS Researcher), and Serena De Piccoli (Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Polypeptide). During these discussions, students had the opportunity to engage with the speakers, ask questions, and gain insights into their career journeys and expertise.
The morning was a success, thanks to the valuable contributions of our speakers, who provided thoughtful answers and practical advice to the students. Their input greatly enriched the experience, leaving participants with a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for their academic and professional futures.
