A short presentation that inspires With "Paper of the Month" in the Cluster of Excellence SE²A, doctoral students present their research work
With “Paper of the Month”, the Cluster of Excellence SE²A – Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation – at TU Braunschweig has successfully introduced a new format. This format promotes interdisciplinary exchange between scientists and intensifies scientific discussion. Dr Doris Pester, Managing Director of the Aviation Cluster of Excellence, initiated the series.
Dr Doris Pester presents the limited SE²A gift cup to (from left) Khalid Khali, Michelangelo Corelli Grappadelli and Chetan Talwar for their successful presentation in the Paper of the Month series. Photo credit: Lara Schiewe/SE²A/TU Braunschweig
Dr Pester, “Paper of the Month” – what is that?
Once a month, our doctoral researchers present their research work, which they have published in relevant journals, in a short lecture. The presentation lasts about 30 to 40 minutes plus 15 minutes of discussion and takes place online to enable all researchers from the five partner institutions involved as well as international cooperation partners such as TU Delft to participate spontaneously. As a rule, 15 to 30 researchers take part – professors from inside and outside the cluster, the second supervisors of the doctoral researchers as well as external guests. The speakers see the participation of SE²A board members as an additional appreciation of their work.
„The ‘SE²A Paper of the month’ was definitely a great opportunity to share my research questions, connect with other people working towards a more sustainable aviation and gain valuable insights from different engineering perspectives.“ – Sofia Pinheiro Melo, M.Sc., EXC SE²A/Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology, TU Braunschweig
What does the format offer?
In our large SE²A research network, the scientists work towards a common goal: to research technological solutions for more sustainable aviation – for example, on topics such as “Which type of energy storage is suitable for which flight route? What will the optimised aircraft of the future look like? What do these innovations mean for society from an economic and social perspective?” With the “Paper of the Month”, we offer a balanced overview of the wide-ranging research topics of the entire cluster.
How does the preparation work?
I write to the PhD students and ask them about their topic. We choose a topic and announce the presentation with a picture via our social media channels. I introduce the speakers with a short overview of their academic career and moderate the concluding question and discussion session. Presentations and discussions are always held in English.
“I found the discussion after the presentation very fruitful as it gave a chance to express my own opinions about the different policy scenarios that were tested in the model. Often as a researcher we present our results and conclusion objectively but being able to express my thoughts on the way forward was quite satisfying.” – Chetan Talwar, M.Sc., EXC SE²A- Junior Research Group “Overall System Evaluation”/ Automotive Management and Industrial Production, TU Braunschweig
How do the PhD students benefit from this?
Small gift: The limited SE²A gift cup with a sweet surprise is given to the young researchers for their presentation at the “Paper of the Month”. Photo credit: Lara Schiewe/SE²A/TU Braunschweig
The series offers the opportunity to look beyond one’s own nose and find out what topics colleagues from the neighbouring institute or another discipline are currently researching. The doctoral students can also be inspired for interdisciplinary cooperation. There are now more than 130 researchers in the SE²A cluster. It is also important to us that the doctoral students can present their research topic in an open, constructive atmosphere and get feedback before perhaps going to the next big conference. In addition, they get to know different presentation styles and can network better with their colleagues. I was particularly pleased with the repeated requests to present a second time on another topic. We also reward the commitment of the speakers: as a small gift, they receive the limited SE²A gift cup with a sweet surprise.
