Fraunhofer ITWM supports German-French Research Training Group

Baguette or Wholegrain Bread – Studying for a PhD in France and Germany

Press Release / August 13, 2024

Over the past 13 years, six doctoral students from the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau RPTU and the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM have already been able to ask themselves this question. They completed part of their doctoral studies in France – at the Centre de Morphologie Mathématique de MINES Paris (CMM) to be precise.

The Research Training Group is funded by the Franco-German University (FGU).based in Saarbrücken. The organization helped develop the joint structured training program and promotes networking, especially among the young researchers. In our Research Training Group, this includes workshops, for example, which take place alternately at the Fraunhofer ITWM and the CCM every eighteen months.

21 German Graduates of the Research Training Group

At the Fraunhofer ITWM, Dr. Katja Schladitz from the »Image Processing« department accompanies the program and supervises many of the Phd students. She shares this task with Prof. Dr. Claudia Redenbach, head of the »Statistics« working group at the Department of Mathematics at RPTU. Both are delighted that this program exists, that PhD students from Kaiserslautern have repeatedly had the opportunity to spend time researching at the cradle of mathematical morphology, and hope that it will continue for a long time to come. The French colleagues, Dominique Jeulin in the founding phase and currently Jesus Angulo and François Willot, have repeatedly provided valuable suggestions and contributed new ideas, thus contributing to the success of the 21 doctoral students who have completed the Research Training Group on the German side to date.

Increase German-French Double Doctorates

The supervisors are also hoping for more double doctorates: So far, only two students have completed their doctorates at both universities. Schladitz would also like to see the language course resumed: »Before the coronavirus pandemic, we used to learn French together once a week in the Image Processing department with a retired teacher.«

Three Months in France: Research and Networking

Alex Keilmann and Aiswarya Nair Manikantan Geetha, both doctoral students, are currently completing the foreign phase of their doctorates - Alex at RPTU in the »Statistics« working group and Aiswarya in the »Image Processing« department at Fraunhofer ITWM. Both of their research topics were developed in the context of the BMBF-funded project »Oho – Optimization of wood-based insulating materials«. Aiswarya segments and analyzes wood fibres from 3D images. Alex reconstructs the structures observed by Aiswarya using stochastic models.

We asked the two PhD students about their motivations and experiences. They were unanimous in their answers, except for one ...

Interview with the Two Doctoral Students

Why did you decide to spend a longer period of time in Fontainebleau?

A research stay abroad seemed like a good opportunity to gain a new perspective on our research areas and at the same time gain more international experience. With the Franco-German University, the stay was also relatively easy to organize. We also had the advantage of being able to get to know part of the working group in Fontainebleau in advance through the annual workshop.

The longer stay at the CMM allowed us to acquire new knowledge in a relaxed and in-depth way. In such an innovative environment, we were able to network easily and regularly with other young scientists. During discussions in the coffee breaks, we were able to exchange ideas and gain new perspectives, which motivated and inspired us.

What stage of your doctorate are you in and how long were you in France?

We are in the second year of our doctorate and we have now been in France for three months.

Did you also spend your free time with the French doctoral students?

Yes, we occasionally had a beer together after work or visited attractions such as the castle in Fontainebleau or the Paris Catacombs.

Did you go bouldering on the famous rocks in Fontainebleau?

Yes, some of us went bouldering together, but unfortunately we weren't so lucky with the weather. That's why we mostly went to the climbing gym, which is also regularly visited by famous French top climbers.

One more question: baguette or wholegrain bread?

Alex: Difficult decision... but rather wholegrain bread.
Aiswarya: I would always opt for a crusty baguette.

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