I've seen this summer school as a great opportunity to develop myself both personally and professionally. I was able to meet other PhD students and discuss their research topic and at the same time to connect with industry leaders. I also wanted to expand my knowledge on fracture mechanics and damage of composite materials.
Browsing online on composite news related websites.
The application process includes an application form, CV and a motivation letter. Application process was fairly easy, however my PhD focuses on the topics discussed in the summer school.
Learn and take notes during the lectures because at the end there is a written examination which is worth 5 ECTS credits (which I passed :D ).
Each day had 4 x 1.5 lectures. The first three days were delivered by academic lectures, while the last two days were dedicated to industry speakers followed by the examination. On an evening we went to Olympic Theater in Vicenza which was beautiful and on one night there was a dinner organised in the garden of their university. In addition, we were able to see their research facilities in terms of composite manufacturing and characterisation.
I really enjoyed most of it because it was structured very well having enough brakes to be able to digest all the information from the lectures. The content of the summer school was relevant to my research topic and some of the knowledge gained I can use it in my future projects. I managed to meet new people from the industry and make some connections which is important for a young researcher.
For me, the challenges of the summer school came in the modelling discussion which I found hard to understand as I am not covering that subject in my PhD.
Yes, I know now now important is fracture mechanics of composites and I try to incorporate some experiments into my PhD.
The summer school made me think more about pursuing a career in a research environment.
It is a good experience for PhD students having a research topic in composite materials/ fracture mechanics. I definitely suggest to apply as it is a really good experience.
Form completed: 14 Aug 2019