From June 14 to 16, 2026, the University of Aveiro (UA) hosted the 15th Workshop of the FAMEAIS Erasmus Mundus Master's programme, an international gathering that brought together 20 students from more than 16 nationalities — from the United States to Indonesia — to present and discuss their master's thesis research.

The FAMEAIS Master's was created within the framework of the European FP6 Network of Excellence FAME NoE (Functional Advanced Materials and Engineering of Hybrids and Ceramics) and is integrated into the European Multifunctional Material Institute (EMMI). This year's workshop marked the beginning of celebrations for two decades of FAME graduates.

According to Ana Barros, Patrícia Varum and Pedro Carvalho from the Organizing Committee, the event represented a good opportunity to promote the University of Aveiro internationally: "the objective of this meeting is the individual presentation and open discussion of the research work carried out in the context of the students’ master thesis which covers a wide variety of topics. Other equally important purposes of this meeting include the exchange of experiences, and the opportunity to deepen the bonding developed between all those involved over the years and get inspired for the next 2 decades!", stated the organizing committee.

The event brought together representatives from the FAME Consortium's member institutions: the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble (Grenoble INP – UGA), the Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUDa), the University of Augsburg (UAu), the Université de Liège (ULiège), and the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain). Also in attendance was Professor Osvaldo Oliveira Jr., from the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil.

The full programme included a welcome reception on the evening of June 14, followed by two full days of activities at the Auditório Mestre Hélder Castanheira. The opening day, June 15, featured a welcome address with the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Cooperation, Mara Freire, and an invited talk by Professor João Rocha titled "How Materials Shape Human Evolution." The afternoon included a Moliceiro boat ride and a guided tour of the Vista Alegre Museum in Ílhavo, concluding with dinner at the Montebelo Vista Alegre Ílhavo Hotel.

The programme continued with the groups presentation and culminated with an invited talk by Professor Osvaldo Oliveira on "The Future of Materials Science with Generative Artificial Intelligence," followed by an award ceremony that closed the workshop.

Student research presentations were organized into four thematic groups: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence; Material Preparation and Characterization (two groups); and Thermodynamics and Organic Chemistry. Topics ranged from machine-learned interatomic potentials and predictive maintenance using AI, to magnetocaloric materials, 3D-printed bio-nanocomposites for CO2 capture, and high-pressure phase transitions in iron oxide.

More information remains available on the event's official website: https://fameais-ss.web.ua.pt/

See the photos on the album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/eAhks35RCVJs66qQ7