AUFRANDE Annual Event 2025

AUFRANDE hosted its second Annual Event from 3–7 November 2025 at the Institute for Condensed Matter Chemistry Bordeaux (UMR 5026 CNRS) in Pessac, France. Doctoral Candidates and their Supervisors, based at French and Australian universities, gathered to continue building connections initially forged in-person during the 2024 Annual Event.

The event program included poster sessions, a networking excursion and scientific workshops. The event also marked an important milestone for AUFRANDE with the Mid-Term Review meeting, hosted in collaboration with AUFRANDE’s Project Officer who gave feedback on AUFRANDE’s progress and guidance for the Program’s path forward.

On Thursday 6 November and Friday 7 November, AUFRANDE jointly organised the event “Researchers Meet Entrepreneurs: Career Paths” with the MCAA France Chapter and the MCAA Bridging Science and Business Working Group (BSB WG). This public event, open to all current and former Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows, featured speakers from diverse sectors, panel discussions, presentations and networking activities to further strengthen the connection between academia and industry.

The Annual Event gave our Doctoral Candidates an opportunity to network, exchange ideas and continuing building their research skills and knowledge base. Due to the strengthened connections and expertise from this event, we continue to feel confident about the future of AUFRANDE.

A heartfelt thank you to all who participated in making this week a success, including our Doctoral Candidates, Supervisors, collaborators, facilitators, speakers, and other attendees. The insights offered by this community continue to strengthen the AUFRANDE Program, and we look forward to furthering these connections in the future.