The University of Lyon 1 celebrated the European Doctoral Day reflecting on the future of doctoral training

On 13 May 2026, Arqus hosted a hybrid event at Lyon 1 University (Campus de la Doua, Salle Fontannes) to mark European Doctoral Day. The event brought together doctoral researchers, academic staff, and institutional stakeholders to highlight innovations in doctoral education and to reflect on the future of researcher training in Europe.

A central focus of the day was the MSCA COFUND doctoral programme “Architecture Function & Dynamics in Life Sciences – ArchiFun”, an initiative developed within Arqus and co-funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. The programme, organised by Adriana Miele, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Lyon 1 University, showcased the work of its doctoral fellows, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches in life sciences and the value of international collaboration in doctoral training.

Morning session: My thesis in 180 seconds’ contest

The morning session (09:00–12:00, CEST) featured the MT180 (My Thesis in 180 Seconds) contest, in which 15 out of the 19 doctoral students from the ArchiFun programme presented their research both on site and online. The competition highlighted both scientific excellence and the ability of young researchers to communicate complex ideas to a broader audience.

The jury was composed by Dr Katarzyna Szymanska (Science to the Point), Dr Simon Megy (UCBL), Dr Daniel Lietha (CSIC, Spain), Prof Silvia Chichiarelli (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) and Prof Ignacio Godino Llorente (Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain). The winners are: 1^st Xiaoqi WU (UniPD), 2^nd Santiago Cifuentes Almanza (UCBL), 3^rd Giuseope Maria Verderame (UCBL).

Networking session

From 12:00 to 15:00, participants gathered for a buffet lunch followed by a networking session held on-site. This was the opportunity for doctoral fellows to engage directly with peers, supervisors and visiting academics, fostering exchanges on research methodologies, career development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Round table: Shaping tomorrow’s talent

The afternoon concluded with a round table discussion (15:00–16:00) titled “Shaping Tomorrow’s Talent: How European Excellence Programmes and European Universities Alliances Can Transform Doctoral Selection and HR Policy.” Held in hybrid format, the session brought together experts from across Europe, including representatives from the University of Padua, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Sapienza University of Rome and Aix-Marseille Université. The experts are part of the SMARTT, CIVIS and Arqus Alliances.

Discussions focused on harmonizing and strengthening European cooperation in higher education, on improving doctoral recruitment processes and training practices.

The event reinforced the strategic role of European university alliances in shaping the future of doctoral education. In particular, it was highlighted the need for putting in place joint delivery of doctoral degrees, whenever a joint doctoral programme is in place.

By combining research excellence, international mobility and innovative training formats, initiatives such as ArchiFun, SMARTT and SHADOC, among others, demonstrate how it is possible to achieve a common objective through the Alliances and the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions.

The round table was concluded by the VP of Doctoral Studies, Prof Stéphane Daniele, who also reported on the other Arqus initiative for the EDD, which was held in the morning.