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All the latest news from the European Optical Society
www.europeanoptics.org
EU project to promote careers in photonics to STEM students
T
he new EU-funded project named Carla aims to develop a pan-European
training programme to promote photonics careers among STEM university students and young researchers. It is estimated that the
European photonics industry is worth €70 billion, employs 300,000 people and is the second-highest manufacturer of photonics equipment globally. Despite being a fast-growing market with significant economic impact and excellent professional opportunities, and being included among Europe’s key enabling technologies (KETs) of the 21st century for its potential to enhance innovation in several fields, photonics remains a poorly known field for a vast majority of STEM students and young researchers. To support the growth, leadership and innovation potential in the photonics area, Europe needs to increase and empower its dedicated workforce. The two-year Horizon 2020 Carla project will create photonics career ‘camps of excellence’ to encourage STEM university students, PhD students and young postdocs to pursue their careers in photonics. Highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of photonics technologies and applications, the camps will target students and young researchers from photonics and non-photonics fields. Participating in a Carla camp will allow them to have a glimpse of the vast opportunities that the photonics careers landscape offers, and provide a roadmap for better employability.
30 Electro Optics June 2020 The goal of Carla is to create
a rigorous, tested and easily reproducible tool to boost careers in photonics in and outside academic research, as well as to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship and empower diversity in the field. Carla is working hand-in-hand with all interested stakeholders, including commercial and academic experts, entrepreneurs, policymakers, HR and training specialists, to gain the top-down perspective on the contents a photonics career camp should contain. Additionally, university students and young researchers are being involved to assure a bottom-up perspective. The stakeholders will be
gathered in working sessions
“Carla aims to match the needs and expectations of potential employers and future employees”
where a common methodology will be used to collect useful ideas to be integrated into the programme. Carla aims to match the needs and expectations of potential employers and future employees. Organisers will strive to
promote inclusivity and will work with international experts in the field to increase the involvement of women and other underrepresented communities within the camps and in photonics careers at large. EOS will be represented in the panel of experts called to provide valuable insights on how to address the current gender and diversity imbalance in the field. Best practices will be documented in
a series of guidelines that will be made publicly available to help institutions plan events in a way that encourages diversity. The structure and scalability
of the model is planned to be evaluated through 11 Carla camp editions across Europe throughout 2020 and 2021, starting with a pilot Carla camp in Barcelona in November 2020. In light of the current global restrictions due to Covid-19, digital talks, poster sessions and networking activities are being considered in order to adapt the model of the camp to a virtual format while maintaining its essence, style and excellence, should that be necessary. A comprehensive handbook will be produced to facilitate the replication of the model and creating a solid and robust Carla brand. To sustain the growth and excellence of the photonics workforce, photonics stakeholders are encouraged to benefit from the work done within Carla and replicate the camp format. The project is also creating a
virtual photonics careers hub on social media to enable further networking and exchange of information across all communities beyond the actual Carla camps. The online hub for careers in photonics relies on the existing LinkedIn platform (Carla Hub) and Instagram (@
the_carla_hub), which will provide a platform where students, researchers, industry, academia and entrepreneurs can network and disseminate information around careers in photonics. The initiative by the European
Centres for Outreach in Photonics, coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences, has gathered leading photonics organisations with extensive experience in outreach activities directed to different audiences. The consortium includes the following partners: Photonics Austria, Max Born Institute (Berlin), Politecnico di Milano, Institut d’Optique (Bordeaux), International Laser Centre (Bratislava), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Delft University of Technology, Photonics Sweden, Southern European Cluster in Photonics and Optics (Barcelona) and SwissPhotonics.
l Visit
www.carlahub.eu or contact
carlahub@icfo.eu.
EOSAM 2020
The EOS has announced that EOSAM 2020 will now be held online, with published proceedings expected in September 2020.
www.eosam2020.org
@electrooptics |
www.electrooptics.com
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