Last week, five doctoral candidates (DCs) from the MATCH Doctoral Network attended the joint HOMTech-QuNEST Symposium at the University of L’Aquila in Italy (UnivAQ). Their participation provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen ties within the MSCA community while engaging directly with cutting-edge research in photonics and quantum communication.
The symposium brought together researchers from two Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Doctoral Networks—HOMTech and QuNEST—for three days of scientific presentations, expert-led training, and collaborative discussions on Higher‑Order Mode (HOM) technologies and quantum‑secure optical communication networks.
Insights from MATCH Doctoral Candidates:
The MATCH DCs shared enthusiastic reflections on the experience, highlighting the event’s scientific value and collaborative atmosphere.
Adele Hamon described the symposium as highly enriching, noting that “discovering the wide range of topics within a single program was very enriching, especially in terms of sharing experiences.” She added that the interactions with peers helped clarify “how we would like to communicate and interact within our own MATCH PhD group” and emphasised that the event provided “a great deal of useful knowledge directly related to my PhD topic.”
For Konstantinos Papafilippou, the event served as an energising introduction to large scientific gatherings. He shared, “I came away inspired by the work presented and full of ideas for starting my projects.” He highlighted the open and dynamic environment, which “encouraged knowledge exchange, open expression of ideas, and discussion around the most current technologies.” Meeting other MATCH doctoral candidates, he added, “opened the door to future collaboration.”
Victoria Jacob valued the symposium for its depth and interdisciplinary reach, commenting, “The focus on HOM-Tech and QuNEST was particularly intriguing, offering insights into both fundamental research and practical implementation.” She was impressed by the strong cooperation between academia and industry, stating that such collaboration “plays a key role in driving meaningful innovation.” She also noted her particular interest in talks on spatial division multiplexing, directly connected to her work on multicore fibers.
Alice Houard emphasised the scientific impact of the event, describing it as “a great opportunity to deepen my knowledge on higher‑order modes and inter‑core interactions in multi-core fibers.” She appreciated meeting fellow MATCH DCs and Prof. Cartaxo, which made her “even more excited for the MATCH meeting in March,” and found it motivating to connect with students from other networks whose work “sets a high benchmark for our own.”
Riya Kothari also found the symposium both academically and personally enriching. She noted that talks on higher‑order‑mode fibers, SDM transmission, and quantum communication closely aligned with her research interests and highlighted that “sessions on fiber characterization and DSP were especially insightful, as they helped me better connect theoretical concepts with real experimental challenges and ongoing research problems.” Beyond the technical sessions, she valued the informal exchanges during breaks and social events, which “made the experience both memorable and inspiring and strengthened my motivation to continue working in this field.”
Building Stronger Connections, Inspiring Future Research
The active engagement of the MATCH DCs reflects the programme’s commitment to fostering collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, and scientific excellence. Through this symposium, students expanded their technical expertise, built new partnerships, and gained a clearer view of their place within the optical communications research landscape.
Their perspectives highlight both the value of MSCA networks and the importance of shared experiences in shaping the next generation of researchers. This is an encouraging sign for the upcoming phases of the MATCH project.