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From October 14 to 18, 2024, Grenoble and Autrans hosted this groundbreaking week, which welcomed nearly 200 doctoral and master’s students, and researchers. The event offered participants opportunities to connect across disciplines, collaborate on multi-day case studies, and share insights within their scientific fields.

The event was more than a networking opportunity; it marked the beginning of a European doctoral collaboration within Unite!, enabling students to benefit from co-supervised theses and training across partner institutions.

“Unite! collaboration provides Aalto’s doctoral students in technology fields with the opportunity to find courses that suit them from a broader selection. Unite! offers a chance to network within their field and accelerate their academic careers,” explains Minna Söderqvist, Head of Doctoral Education Services. “Aalto’s doctoral students also benefit from pre-negotiated cotutelle agreement templates between Unite! universities.”

Exploring Grenoble’s Innovation Ecosystem

A dedicated day of site visits immersed participants in Grenoble’s vibrant technological and scientific ecosystem. They toured key institutions like the ILL, CEA, Schneider Electric, and the S.Mart technology platform, gaining first-hand insights into local innovations and industrial partnerships.

“Unite! Research School is an exceptionally innovative event because it’s the first time we’ve organized an international week dedicated to research involving students, PhD candidates, and faculty from Unite! partner universities,” says Franz Bruckert, lead of Unite! activities at Grenoble-INP.

Strengthening Networks and Sharing Success

The week concluded with testimonials from doctoral students and researchers, who reflected on their academic journeys, challenges, and triumphs. A research project pitch session provided a platform for students to showcase their work, fostering further collaboration.

“It was a very nice experience, mixture of disciplinary lectures, transversal skills for research, team working, and a lot of networking. I had the chance to meet representatives from CEA and Soitec, both are working on fields related to my research topic. It was enlightening to learn about their facilities and current projects. I am confident that I will visit Grenoble for research in the future,” shares Mohamed Radwan, a Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation.

With its resounding success, the Unite! Research School set the stage for a robust and sustainable network of European doctoral researchers, fostering collaboration across disciplines and borders.