Strong turnout from PSL University students for the first edition of the EELISA European University PhD symposium!

The participants came from Mines Paris - PSL, Dauphine, Chimie Paris - PSL, the Collège de France and ESPCI - PSL, representing the diversity of the institutions that make up PSL University.

They were welcomed to Budapest by teams from BME University on 28 and 29 November. Over two days, the doctoral students had the opportunity to exchange ideas with other young European researchers and participate in teaching sessions on a variety of topics such as ethics, scientific publishing and international scholarship opportunities.

This first edition also aimed to create synergies in European research and encourage collaboration between researchers. Amar Meddahi, a doctoral student at Mines Paris – PSL, states: 

 "The symposium was a great opportunity to develop a doctoral network at European level and explore avenues for joint research within the Alliance. Discussions with doctoral students and teams from different institutions facilitated scientific integration and opened up new avenues for collaboration".

This aspect was also praised by Clémence Perrin, a doctoral student at Mines Paris PSL, and Pratibha Malik, a doctoral student at ESPCI Paris - PSL, who both emphasised the importance of being able to discover other practices, tools and approaches to research in a supportive and collaborative environment. 

The Symposium was designed as a genuine forum for sharing experiences. Sharveena Mahendran, a doctoral student at the Collège de France, also highlighted the value of the PhD Testimonials session, which allowed participants to "see science and entrepreneurship come together through presentations by former doctoral students who now run start-ups inspired by their research. Their advice was a source of motivation, reminding us that ideas do not necessarily have to remain confined to the laboratory, but can be developed into concrete solutions." The student praised the event for its focus on constructive exchanges, dialogue and the discussion of topics that have a direct impact on research, such as AI and digitalisation. 

When asked about the positive effects of participating in this type of event on research work, Allan Iraqi, winner of the ‘Innovation Prize of the Audience’ and doctoral student at Mines Paris PSL, replied: "Presenting your thesis work is essential both for getting feedback from researchers and for developing your public speaking skills in English and your stress management skills. Beyond the aspect of promoting scientific work, writing a thesis is often a solitary task, and exchanges between doctoral students, such as those we had at this symposium, allow us to share our experiences and difficulties, but also to discuss what comes after the thesis. This is obviously just as important, and if I have the opportunity, I will participate in other similar events. It is an excellent exercise and a real boost". 

To accompany them and cover the event, Séram Borgel, a student at the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD - PSL), also travelled to Budapest as an EELISA Student Reporter. To find out more about the 1st EELISA PhD Symposium, you can read his recap on EELISA's social media pages!