Interactions between fluids and solids underpin energy conversion, chemical reaction and material ageing processes in diverse industrial frameworks (chemical, aeronautic, environmental…); the understanding and control of these interactions are therefore central for the improvement of eco-efficiency and reduction of the ecological impact of industrial processes.

IntREE is an interdisciplinary Graduate School (GS) dedicated to teaching and research, in the field of interfaces between two media of different physico-chemical properties.

This Graduate School, supported by the existing Masters programs, allows students to be immersed in research environments. This high-level training (master’s and doctorate), limited to about twenty students per year, encourages learning through research by placing students at the heart of the laboratories (Pprime and IC2MP).

IntREE is organized around four main axes in order to prepare students for the professions of tomorrow:

• progressive immersion in the laboratories,
• international mobility,
• connections with the socio-economic world,
• disciplinary openness toward the multidisciplinarity.

IntREE Graduate School offers new opportunities for students (Masters and PhDs) to gain solid experience in various fields, ranging from basic to applied sciences.

Professional insertion of the young graduates and PhD will be facilitated by the strong existing connections between the University of Poitiers, the CNRS, the engineering schools (ISAE-ENSMA and ENSIP) and industrial companies, research and federation centers as the «leading board of Global Network of Green Chemistry Centres». The ISAE-ENSMA is oriented towards aeronautical and space professions, while ENSIP trains in energy and environment engineering. These two engineering schools organize special events between companies and students once a year, which can be opportunities of offered employment prospects for students.

About 40 PhD are actually supported by industrial partners (CIFRE). The Open- and associated-labs are also assets making connections with industrial strategies as well as the two industrial chairs (Pprime) with SAFRAN Aircraft Engines. Employment rate is high in both academic and industrial sectors (after six month the employment rate is more than 80%).

The IntREE-project builds also on the expertise of SAFIRE (“Service d’accompagnement à la formation, l’insertion et la réussite étudiante”) which is a common service available at the University of Poitiers whose purpose is to achieve a better professional integration and also to train and help students to be entrepreneurs.

Finally, the study of “interfaces” is based on the local strengths of research and to the fact that this issue is often at the heart of many developments, research or industrial activities either in the field of physics or chemistry through professions focused on the environment, aeronautics, energy or materials for example.
Numerous future jobs are concerned, as for example:

Environmental Engineer: In this field of environment, the professions that were once predominantly naturalistic now require the integration of the physical, chemical, computer or mathematical sciences.
To carry out his mission successfully, the engineer must identify the reactivity of the environment (chemical reactions at the interface solid/fluid), the physical properties of porous media (critical zones, absorbents…), implement increasingly efficient instrumentation (detection of ultra-traces for example), integrate multi-scale data (from the solid/fluid interface to the natural environment), model them… In addition, his role can be to manage and control the company’s operational policy in terms of environment, ensure the application of regulations and compliance with environmental standards and work on optimized waste management, pollution treatment, pollution prevention, etc.
The engineer must be able to interact with research laboratories in the field and therefore have a good knowledge of the research environment.

The same is true for Micro-fluidic engineers (materials, porous media, thermodynamic), Aeronautical engineers (future flight systems which must be greener, more electric and autonomous), Materials engineers (lightweight and new materials for bio-design and efficient storage of energy and information), Chemical engineers (more safety of the environment) and so on, who need multiple skills.
Thus, various kinds of future career for masters, engineers and PhDs have been raised including microelectronic, increased energy efficiency, advanced medicine and treatments, water treatment or the next generation of plastics and biodegradable chemical-based materials, the design and development of aircrafts including new types of fuel or propulsion systems making travels more safe and comfortable whilst reducing permissible noise levels and environmental wastes to a minimum, development of lightweight and efficient materials without forgetting the problems or advantages of the increasing automatization.

By joining IntREE, the students will acquire the knowledge/skills to meet these future needs through flexible research learning according to their choice and will be actors in innovation/valorization resulting of research.

➡️ See the employability rate of graduates