1:a NT-Forskningskonferensen Karlstad 5 maj 2015
INTERACT and a possible graduate school in science
and technology
Jan van Stam
Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences.
Tel.:054-7002479, E-mail: Jan.van.Stam@kau.se
Abstract: INTERACT’s research focus is Molecular interactions at surfaces and
interfaces. The primary driving force and strength is in the common interest for
fundamental understanding of molecular interactions between molecules and between
molecules and surfaces.
The basic research issues concerns dynamic and static processes in areas such as
adsorption/desorption, wetting and fluid transport, mass transport processes, electron and
energy transfer, phase separation, molecular orientation, and numerical simulations of
molecular interactions and separations. The applied research questions deal with
important technological processes, such as coating surfaces, printing, separation of
molecules, molecular electronics and organic solar cells. Alongside a presentation of
INTERACT, some ideas concerning the necessity of organising the doctoral studies in a
graduate school will be brought to discussion.
INTERACT
The research group INTERACT is build up by about 15
senior scientists. INTERACT’s research focus is
Molecular interactions at surfaces and interfaces. The
research group pools expertise, experience and methods
across the disciplinary boundaries of chemical
engineering, physics, chemistry, and modelling.
INTERACT's work rests on two strong pillars: Basic
research and applied relevance in collaboration with the
surrounding society. The primary driving force and
strength is in the common interest for fundamental
understanding of molecular interactions between
molecules and between molecules and surfaces. Another
key strength is the availability of a comprehensive set of
instruments for studying interactions at surfaces, such as
modern microscopy and spectroscopy methods,
instruments for coating and printing, for the
characterization of materials and surfaces, and for the
separation of molecules.
The basic research issues concerning dynamic and static
processes, thermodynamics and kinetics in areas such as
adsorption/desorption, wetting and fluid transport, mass
transport processes, electron and energy transfer, phase
separation, molecular orientation, and numerical
simulations of molecular interactions and separations.
The applied research questions deal with important
technological processes, such as coating surfaces,
printing, separation of molecules, scale-up and
optimization of processes, biosensors, molecular
electronics and organic solar cells. All these processes
have important applications in products that are essential
for human health and well-being (e.g., pharmaceutical,
packaging, food, and energy), as well as being the
fundament for a future sustainable society.
The present research activities within INTERACT
follow mainly three branches. One treats the chemical
engineering of coatings and barriers. This branch also
includes polymer technology and printing technology. A
second subdivision is the research on separation
techniques for analytical and pharmaceutical purposes.
The third and last activity branch considers organic
optoelectronics, both from a physical as well as a
chemical perspective.
Recently, INTERACT started four new projects. One
prerequisite was that the projects clearly should
contribute to INTERACT’s research and be inclusive in
terms of openness to researchers from different fields.
The projects comprises scientific questions as how
modifications of starch influences the structure and
barrier properties in polymer-clay mineral composites,
fundamental investigations of complex solvent
interactions on surfaces by new approaches, the use of
spectroscopy to characterise thin films from different
coating processes, and new materials for stable solar
cells.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Another important task for INTERACT, and all excellent
and strong research groups, is to contribute to research
and teaching at the Faculty. In terms of research and
Ph.D. studies, this task is of vital importance to our
common future. We all know, that the education at the
doctoral level (the third cycle) will be evaluated in
coming years and we need to stand prepared and to be
pro-active in these matters. This task becomes even more
important, considering that the strategy document of the
Faculty (HNT 2014/252) gives neither directions, nor
goals, for the Ph.D. education – which means that we
have to express these directions ourselves.
It is my strong conviction that we need to organise the
Ph.D. education in science and technology in a common
graduate school. Within this school, we can take a lot of
actions to strengthen our Ph.D. education.
We can organise common graduate courses,
when applicable, to ensure enough students.
We can share supervision responsibilities, to
broaden the platform for the Ph.D. student.
We can exchange experiences and ideas, to
further develop research and studies.
We could, and should, find common research
questions to tackle, to focus our activities.
The necessity to focus our research does not imply that
all subject-bound activities must end. To the contrary,
the specific parts of a given subject must remain, and the
common part should be viewed as necessary in order to
strengthen the environment and to ensure Ph.D. projects
at the front edge of science. The graduate school should
provide the framework, the fundament to build stronger
subjects and better graduate education on. The graduate
school is not a goal itself, but a toolbox and a compass to
find the way to the goals we want to achieve together.
INTERACT can contribute to this vision in several
ways. We give already some courses at the doctoral level
and will promote these better in the future. We are also
willing to discuss the content of our courses, in order to
make them interesting to a broader audience.
INTERACT also comprises scientists with a good
knowledge in molecular interactions, surface and
interface interactions, and modelling from the
perspectives of engineers, chemists, physicists, and
mathematicians. With this platform, we can contribute to
the supervision of Ph.D. students, for shorter or longer
terms.
In my presentation, I will, besides presenting
INTERACT briefly, further discuss my personal view on
how a graduate school in science and technology can be
implemented and organised in our Faculty. Hopefully,
this can start a discussion about strengths and
weaknesses, opportunities and threats of our present
third cycle education and, hence, yield a Ph.D. education
with higher quality in the future.