IPFN at FuseNet PhD Event 2025
Earlier this month, from 4 to 6 November, ITER welcomed 150 doctoral students in fusion science and engineering from across Europe for the FuseNet PhD Event 2025 in Cadarache, France. The programme included poster sessions, a tour of the ITER facilities, networking opportunities and lectures from ITER experts.
IPFN was represented by Mário Vaz, a 1st year doctoral student in engineering physics at Técnico, who presented the poster “Studying the quasi-coherent mode using reflectometry”, centred on the EDA H-mode, a promising confinement regime, through the lens of reflectometry - a radar-based diagnostic technique.
Attending the event meant taking part in his first fusion-focused conference, which he described as “an excellent opportunity to meet other students working across various topics”, whilst exchanging ideas about their research.
According to Mário, the talks addressed key issues for the future of fusion and the visit to ITER was striking for its complexity and scale, which he described as “truly remarkable.” The overall experience, he said, was inspiring and strengthened his motivation to contribute to the fusion community.
A key part of this effort is the annual PhD event, launched in 2011 to connect young researchers in fusion science and engineering. “It’s an excellent opportunity to hold the event at ITER because it is at facilities like this that students meet the researchers and the people who will help them integrate into the professional world,” said Darío Cruz, FuseNet Executive Officer.
As a member of FuseNet, IPFN plays an active role in joint education initiatives across Europe. This includes PlasmaSurf, an IPFN summer school on plasma physics, intense lasers and nuclear fusion. Each year, FuseNet supports the participation of MSc students at PlasmaSurf through dedicated funding.
Photo credit: ITER
