Edis Glogic: IDS-FunMat program

I conducted my doctoral studies jointly at the University of Waterloo (UW) and the University of Bordeaux (UBx) between September 2014 and February 2021. My research project focused on the development of methods for sustainability assessment of technologies, and was carried out within the framework of the IDS-FunMat cotutelle program supporting research in physics and chemistry in domains of information technology, medicine and renewable energy. I was simultaneously enrolled at the social science-oriented department at UW (SERS) focusing on broader sustainability questions, while the department at UBx (ISM-CyVi) was more technically oriented focusing on green chemistry and hands-on methods for environmental assessment.

Being part of two departments and institutions of a different academic organization, brought a multitude of benefits to broadening my perspectives and knowledge and expanding my experience in terms of academic and personal growth. Essentially, more resources were at my disposal in terms of access to literature, relevant software, training, international experience and network, which resulted in a better quality of work and made this process more dynamic and rewarding.

Incorporating academic interest from two different institutions also allowed research to be carried out at a truly interdisciplinary level necessary to navigate and address complex problems in sustainability science. For example, very structured training and teaching of broader sustainability challenges at UW helped to scope and contextualize my research, while my attendance at UBx allowed me to become familiar with methodological tools and carry out case studies that required collaboration with different faculties and researchers. Studying on two continents also allowed me to attend many academic conferences and summer schools where I was able to share my research and make the most of collaboration and networking opportunities. These collaborations eventually resulted in four academic publications in peer-reviewed journals and have lead to promising opportunities for the continuation of my career in academia or industry.

In my opinion, PhD research is a long process that should be accompanied and rewarded by international experience and networks that greatly help with the understanding of the research topic and also faciltate future opportunities. While admittedly, studying at two universities wasn’t without logistical and administrative challenges, the overall benefits heavily outweigh these challenges. Therefore, I am glad to describe my experience as a success case of the UW-UBx partnership and hope this partnership continues to deliver quality research and education in the future.

"Being part of two departments and institutions of a different academic organization, brought a multitude of benefits to broadening my perspectives and knowledge and expanding my experience in terms of academic and personal growth".