Graduate School program

In the first year of the Graduate School program students will be introduced to materials science and familiarize themselves with the main characterization techniques (theoretical and practical courses).

ITI HiFunMat : Introductory course

This lecture course is an introduction course to the physical chemistry of soft matter and macromolecular materials and discusses the most important characterization techniques (NMR, IR, elementary and thermal analysis, molecular weight determination, scattering or optical methods, etc.). The purpose of this course is to provide to the students an introduction to material science and to adress the necessity of interdisciplinary teamwork in material science.

HiFunMat labeled optional course

For each associated Master track specific optional courses (EU à choix), originating from the three different programs, are labeled "HiFunMat". Students have to choose and validate at least one of these courses during their M1. This is not a supplementary course.

ITI HiFunMat : Concepts and Methods

This practical course aims at providing students with hands-on experience in a research laboratory or technical plateform. Each practical course (5 in total) will be attented by only two students who will perform an experiment that requires precise knowledge to select and carry out the most appropiate material characterization instrument and deal with data analysis. The students will present their practical course to the other students for peer-to-peer learning.

Other activities could include seminars and visits to industrial sites or reseach facilities.

HiFunMat research internship

Students are invited to carry out their internship in a HiFunMat laboratory to work on a  (multidisciplinary) project in material science.

In the second year of the Graduate School program students will deepen their knowledge in material science and the conception of hierarchiral and functional materials. They will also aqcuire all soft skills needed to ensure professional insertion.

ITI HiFunMat : Advanced course (under construction)

This high-level interdisciplinary course in material science adresses all the different steps to the elaboration of a given hierarchically structured and functional material across chemistry, physics, biology and material science. (e.g. materials with applications in the environment, health or energy, nanomaterials or material interfaces).

HiFunMat labeled optional course

For each associated Master track specific optional courses, originating from the three different M2 programs, are labeled "HiFunMat". Students have to choose and validate at least one of these courses during their M2.

ITI HiFunMat : Research and professional development (under construction)

This course exists of two parts. The first part of the course will adress topical problems related to materials science (e.g. materials for energy harvesting, smart materials for biomedical applications or advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing). This could include lectures and hot-topic seminars from academics or industrials. The second part of this course will adress career perspectives, good scientific practices, and soft skills (e.g. presentation skills, scientific writing, etc.).

During these activities the students will be given the change to meet and exchange with the lecturers and speakers, and they will be brought into contact with PhD students and alumni. In this manner they will be able to begin the contructing their own professional network.

This course could take on the form of a summer school.

HiFunMat research internship

All students  conclude  their  studies by  an internship  in  academia  or industry,  the duration of  which may  vary  from  one  Master to  the  other. The topic of  the internship must be related to HiFunMat and be supervised by a researcher from a participating institute.

Each Ph.D. student is enrolled in one of the participating Ecoles Doctorales (ED):

• ED 182 - Ecole Doctorale de Physique et Chimie-Physique
• ED 222 - Ecole Doctorale des Sciences Chimiques
• ED 269 - Ecole Doctorale de Mathématiques, Sciences de l'Information et de l'Ingénieur

In addition to the program and obligations imposed by the doctoral schools (54h of topical courses ; 54h of cross-training and professional development ; participation in a congress), HiFunMat Ph.D. students will participate in complementary activities to acquire a more interdisciplinary vision of research, which is important today in the field of materials science. There are three mandatory training activities :

• ITI HiFunMat summer schools (participation free of charge)
• HiFunMat labeled courses for the scientific training of the ED
• Professionalisation modules

Furthermore, they will be able to assist to all scientific events organized by ITI HiFunMat:

• ITI HiFunMat scientific research days (intra axis and inter axes)
• HiFunMat didactic seminars
• HiFunMat scientific seminars

The students will be asked to present their results, in the form of oral or poster presentations, during the summer schools and / or scientific days. This will give them the oppurtunity the present their results on a regular basis and to acquire strong competences in communication and networking. Finally, they will have to occasion to benefit from a mentoring program, (participating is on a volontary basis) and profit from the fact that they are part of the HiFunMat network.

All HiFunMat students (M1, M2 and Ph.D.) will  construct their unique skills portfolio that will include both technical and soft skills.

To construct their skills portfolio students will choose  10 priority technical and soft skills, which are necessary for their field of interest. These skills will be continuously evaluated during the student’s curriculum, and the skills will be graded as beginner, intermediate,  advanced,  expert,  depending on the  level  acquired.