And what if the next GIANT Junior Ambassador was you?
Expand your network, boost your research!
You’re a PhD student or postdoc on the GIANT campus?
You’ve come to the right place to meet, share and find your bearings!
The GIANT Student Network, is a helping hand for:
- Meet other PhD students and researchers
- Navigate the research/industry ecosystem
- Develop cross-disciplinary skills
A network run by PhD students, for PhD students
Each year, a new team of GIANT Junior Ambassadors takes over to:
- Connect PhD students from different laboratories with each other
- Contribute to opening up the campus internationally
- Build bridges with startups and companies
Want to broaden your horizons? Join us, take part in events, and become part of the GIANT community!
Being a GIANT Junior Ambassador means embarking on a dynamic, varied, and flexible adventure.
If you’re a PhD student looking to get involved in campus life, help strengthen the GIANT community, and develop valuable skills in leadership, communication, and organization, this opportunity is for you!
How does the recruitment process work?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as they come in!
For the 2025/2026 year, the team will be limited to a maximum of around ten members.
What are the requirements to join the GJA team?
IMPORTANT DATES YOU MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR:
Teambuilding session with the new GIANT Ambassador team
| Date | Subject | Time | Location |
| Tuesday, October 14, 2025 | Launch of the GIANT Junior Ambassadors 2025/2026 team | 5:00 PM to 7:45 PM | Y.Spot Partners, Grenoble |
Preparatory meetings for JSiam on March 19, 2026
| Date | Subject | Time | Location |
| Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | JSIAM 2026 Kick-off Meeting | 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM | Y.Spot Partners, Grenoble |
| Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | Progress meetings | ||
| Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |||
| Tuesday, January 27, 2026 | |||
| Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | |||
| Tuesday, March 17, 2026 | Final briefing meeting before the event | 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM |
Preparatory meetings for the PhD Workshops
| Date | Subject | Time | Location |
| Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | Kick-off meeting | 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM | Y.Spot Partners, Grenoble |
| Dates to be scheduled between the coordinator and the organizing team | Progress meetings | 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
GIANT Ambassadors’ Year-End Debriefing Session
| Date | Subject | Time | Location |
| Date to be announced – June, 2026 | 2025/2026 GIANT Junior Ambassadors Year-End Debriefing… followed by a group dinner 😉 | 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM | Y.Spot Partners, Grenoble |
Here is the current GIANT Junior Ambassadors team!
Roberto, originally from southern Italy, is in his second year of PhD studies in Grenoble, where he works on recycling solutions for lithium-ion batteries, particularly those used in electric vehicles. Passionate about the energy transition, he sees his project as a unique opportunity as a young engineer. After studying chemical engineering in Salerno, he chose to go abroad for an internship in materials science; an adventure that led him to Grenoble, a city he sees as the perfect balance between science, sport, and social life. An avid cyclist and runner, he climbed Alpe d’Huez this year and ran his first marathon in Lyon. Curious and driven, he joined GIANT to develop his communication and organizational skills while evolving in an international environment.
Diane, originally from Burkina-Faso, is a PhD student at CEA Grenoble diving into the world of power electronics. Her research focuses on modeling electrical parameter drift in SiC MOSFETs to support predictive maintenance and enhance system reliability—think of it as ensuring technology operates smoothly and lasts longer! Outside the lab, Diane is an adventure enthusiast: she loves swimming, hiking, exploring new places, and eagerly jumps into any sport that comes her way. Whether it’s discovering a new mountain trail or mastering a fresh skill, she’s always ready for the next adventure.
Charlotte is a PhD student at INP-UGA, working on conductive polymers for lithium-ion battery applications on the CEA campus in Grenoble, under the supervision of Professor Sadki. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in Paris and spending a year abroad at Smith College in the USA, she returned to Grenoble for a Master’s in Polymers for Advanced Technologies, including a research internship in Canada at the University of Waterloo. Born in Grenoble, Charlotte has a deep love for the mountains — hiking, skiing, and all things alpine. She also enjoys reading (not just scientific papers!) and takes every opportunity to travel whenever she has free time.
Eduardo, originally from Mexico, is an international relations professional with a Master’s in Regional Studies and a PhD in Management Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His work focuses on the connections between communities, companies, and governments, particularly in the context of sustainability. He has experience in the oil and gas industry and has also worked with Mexico’s Ministry of Environment. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher at Grenoble Ecole de Management, exploring the challenges that can emerge in cross-sector partnerships. Outside of work, Eduardo enjoys reading history books, running in the mountains, and playing classical guitar.
Chalimar is a Lebanese PhD student in her second year at the SyMMES lab at CEA Grenoble. Her multidisciplinary research focuses on developing functionalized optical fibers for medical diagnostics. Driven by a passion for helping others, she chose a project that merges her background in physics and optics with real-world biomedical applications. Deeply interested in psychology and self-development, she dreams of one day bridging the gap between science and mental health in her daily work. Outside the lab, she finds joy in the mountains, snow, and skiing, as well as in music and long walks in the rain. Staying connected to nature and people is her therapy. She’s always in search of life’s quiet, everyday magic.
Quoc Trung, originally from Vietnam, is a PhD student at the SPINTEC lab at CEA Grenoble, where he is working on a new write mechanism for Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) based on laser excitation. Outside of his research, he enjoys hiking and exploring new cities, both in France and across Europe. Passionate about photography, he sees it as the perfect complement to his love for travel a great way to capture the landscapes and precious moments he encounters along the way. He’s also interested in music and dances from time to time. This hobby brings him renewed energy and an active balance outside his daily academic work.
Bastien is a PhD student at CEA-Leti, where he has been studying computer science and applied mathematics for the past year. He enjoys solving problems and running experiments. What fascinates him about computer science is the ability to build almost anything — as long as you dedicate the time, you’re (almost) not limited by the physical world. Outside the lab, Bastien takes full advantage of Grenoble’s location near the mountains to go skiing and hiking. He also loves photography and traveling, always eager to discover new places, cities, and cultures, and to connect with the people he meets along the way.
Yassin, originally from Morocco, is a PhD student at CEA-LITEN, where he works on sodium-ion batteries — a promising alternative for sustainable energy storage. With a Master’s degree in Energy Materials from Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, he is committed to rethinking the energy solutions of tomorrow. Outside the lab, Yassin is passionate about football, a devoted FC Barcelona fan, and enjoys bodybuilding as well as Japanese culture, especially anime. Curious and driven, he balances science and personal passions with energy and ambition.
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Before arriving in Grenoble,Juliette, as part of her PhD in all-solid-state battery safety, she spents three years in Limoges to study ceramic materials science and she grow up in Nancy (France). She find a lot of peace in cooking, dancing and listening to music. “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill |
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Kamaldeep is from India. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in Physics, more specifically studying the interesting phenomenon happening when a superconductor, ferromagnet, and semiconductor meet each other at nanoscale. |
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SEMIRE Olubusayo Funmilola, is a PhD in DCM, SeRCO team, UGA, Grenoble, France; She is from Nigeria sponsored by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), she is a young academic from University of Lagos, Nigeria. Her research is based on Synthesis, Diastereoselectivities, Reactivities and α-functionalization of sulphur containing compounds. She loves meeting people and exploring new things. ‘”In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.’’ |
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Ernest is from Ghana (in the west of Africa) He graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and choses to study physics because he thought that through it, he could gain a deeper understanding of the natural universe and the workings of the laws of nature. Then, he decided to venture into the study of the science of materials which cumulated in him developing a special interest in combating one of the challenges of our modern society “climate change”. He is currently on the search for cheap, non-toxic, environmentally friendlier materials for batteries to power the next generation of electric transport. He cycle between cities half of the year and hike the other half when weather conditions are not favorable for biking. |
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Xaver is from Germany and he is a second year PhD student in condensed matter physics at the Institut Laue-Langevin and the Technical University of Munich. He is working in the exciting field of superconductivity using the methods of neutron scattering, transport measurements and magnetometry. More specifically he study the current-induced rearrangement process of superconducting vortex matter in Niobium. His natural lab surroundings are cryostats, electromagnets and lock-in amplifiers. When he is not busy trying to tame his cryostat at -269°C or optimising his data analysis script in python you can find him climbing and hiking in the mountains around Grenoble. |
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Christian is a Mechanical Engineer by profession with considerable experience in Mechanical Design, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), 2D/3D Modelling, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Numerical Simulations. When he is not working, he loves singing, teaching, meeting people, directing music, hiking and travelling. |
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Christelle is Lebanese/Italian, she speaks 4 languages and hope to learn more. She is a clinical psychologist/psychotherapist but she is currently doing her PhD in cognitive psychology. Her thesis is on the engagement factors linked to the use of a computerized cognitive training software by people over the age of 65 years old (with or without cognitive impairments) she also teach part time in the department of psychology at UGA. Her hobbies are reading, learning/discovering new things, board games and dancing. A quote that would best describe her state of mind would be : “Growth happens outside of your comfort zone” |
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AL Oualid is a moroccan, and a 2year PhD student. His family is specialized in aeronautics. It gaves him the desire to specialize in fluid me hanics, an important branch of aeronautics. He has studied in Lyon 1 and then spent his last year at “l’école centrale de Lyon”.I am an enthusiastic person and eager to learn new things and not afraid of difficulties, I always try to put my heart and soul into everything I do in order to be appreciated as a trustworthy team member. In my spare time I practice sports, especially nation and basketball, He loves to travel and discover new horizons. |
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Tejaswini Kakunuri is from Hyderabad, India and obtained her Bachelor degree in Genetic Engineering there. She has since lived in different countries for the purpose of her education, including the USA, the Netherlands, and France- where she is pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience, funded by the European Commission, which places high value on international mobility. Travelling being one of her favorite hobbies, she has taken the opportunity to visit several other countries for both professional purposes and leisure. In her free time, she likes cooking, reading loads of fiction and dancing salsa and bachata. |
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This is Ahmed from Egypt, it is already his third year in France and yet he cannot speak French. He is doing a PhD in Electrical engineering to solve the world energy problems. Ahmed eats a lot and can try any type of food with you but still goes to the gym every day. The big plan is to travel around the world before he turns 30. Wish him luck he is always late ! |
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Mahdi is from Iran. He earned a master’s degree in financial mathematics and a bachelor’s in applied mathematics. Currently, a Ph.D. student in Finance at Grenoble Ecole de Management. His research is focused on green bonds and sustainable development goals. Mahdi loves playing outdoor sports and spending time with his friends. |
Your mission: structure and promote the GIANT community!
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Internally Externally |
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Events by and for PhD students |
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| | Share information and promote GIANT programs | Take part in the GJA portrait series on social media | Follow GIANT on social media |
The GIANT Junior Ambassadors Charter!
This charter gathers all your commitments as an ambassador as well as the benefits you’ll receive if you fulfill all your missions.
It is signed by ALL program members during the teambuilding session!
Take a look at the charter of the GJA!
Recognition for your commitment as a GIANT Junior Ambassador!
By taking on this role, you actively contribute to the scientific and community life of the campus.
In return, your involvement is recognized through several exclusive benefits!
The GIANT Junior Ambassadors are responsible for designing and organizing key events for their fellow PhD students, fostering networking, and professional development.
JSiam – Junior Scientist & Industry annual meeting
JSiam is a must-attend networking event that allows young researchers to explore career opportunities in industry and startups, while beginning to build their professional network.
Next edition: Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Maison MINATEC
The program is currently being prepared. More information will be available here soon.
In the meantime, check out the event video here.
PhD Workshop
The PhD Workshops are interactive sessions designed for PhD students and postdocs. They provide a space for discussion on topics such as:
employment and career development,
thesis management,
well-being at work,
and many other key issues in the life of a young researcher.
Each workshop is led by an expert in the field, combining theoretical input with practical exercises.
The upcoming dates and topics will be available here soon, along with registration links.
