NEWS A low murmur of voices can be heard in the Triple Helix room in Samverkanshuset where mentors from companies and organisations, supervisors from Umeå University and expectant doctoral students are sitting at tables discussing their respective projects. A new batch of IDS students are kicking off their doctoral studies by getting together for a two-day workshop.
Industrial Doctoral School, IDS18
PhotoMattias PetterssonOn the first day, all eleven doctoral projects were presented by the mentor from the partner company and the supervisor from the university.
“It is really exciting to hear about all the projects that are commencing, projects that are starting up at exactly the right time. This is precisely what society needs. Also, this particular intake of doctoral students is extra special because we now have alumni doctors from IDS who are serving as company mentors and supervisors,” says Professor Anna Linusson, director of IDS at Umeå University.
The projects are very varied, ranging from a fitness app for the elderly to improve health, the development of new materials for solar collectors for efficient energy use in industry, innovative waste recycling, to authentic learning in simulators for fighter pilots.
“Even though the subject areas are so different, there are common denominators such as project planning, approach and research methods which we can all discuss together as a group,” says Benkt Wiklund, coordinator for IDS at Umeå University.
The doctoral students’ task on Day 1 was to listen while on Day 2, they gave a talk and introduced themselves and then got to know their fellow doctoral students who will be their colleagues over the next four or five years.
The external cooperation partners for the sixth round of IDS students are FOI (Swedish Defence Research Agency), Swedish Armed Forces, Umeå Energi, VAKIN, SAAB AB, Östersund municipality, RISE, VLL (Västerbotten County Council), ATEA, Absolicon and MacGregor.
IDS is an inter-faculty research school that is based on collaboration between Umeå University and an external organisation, for example, a company or a public-sector organisation.
IDS aims to promote collaboration with companies, foundations or public-sector organisations in order to strengthen research and development, increase the doctoral students’ employability, independence and innovative capacity, and increase knowledge and innovation in society.