Miss Stavroula Panagiotidou, TUC's EURECA-PRO Student Ambassador, reports back from her recent participation in the 2024 edition of EURECA-PRO's PhD Journey:

"Well, the EURECA-PRO PhD Journey 2024 at Hasselt University (EURECA-PRO UHasselt) wasn’t a typical week of late-night studies and piles of papers. It was an exceptional event that combined research, teamwork, and cultural exchange. Traveling from the Technical University of Crete to Belgium, I had the chance to participate in a week of events that significantly broadened my view on research and community.

Here’s a glimpse of what made this journey so impactful:

🌍 Sustainability in Focus: interesting sessions on responsible production and consumption, and how we can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

🤖 AI Insights and Innovation: an inspiring keynote session on how AI reshapes research, followed by a hands-on workshop with ChatGPT, where we explored the future of science communication.

📊 Poster Presentations: sharing my research with peers and experts, while being inspired by the innovative work of others.

🌱 Ecotron Visit: exploring the large-scale research center and gaining insights into state-of-the-art controlled climate experiment.

🍟 Belgian Culture: from a crash course in Dutch to a lively city tour and a fun night of fries, beer, and warm connections, the perfect mix of learning and fun.

This incredible journey wouldn’t have been possible without the outstanding organization by Kathleen Sanen and Stefanie Kerkhofs - your passion made every detail shine, thank you again for everything. A particular thank you to my host professor, Prof. Nick Michiels, and the Expertise Centre for Digital Media (EDM) for their invaluable guidance and support throughout the week."

#PhDJourney #EURECAPRO #HasseltUniversity #TechnicalUniversityofCrete