New EU H2020 MSCA-ETN coming soon: meet CHARMING

SIM² KU Leuven is delighted to announce that it has secured funding for a new EU H2020 MSCA-ETN project focusing on Chemical Engineering Immersive Learning. The project is called CHARMING and is set to start on November 1, 2018, provided the Grant Agreement Procedure is successfully completed. CHARMING is a consortium of high profile universities and companies located in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Denmark and France. In the next two months CHARMING will be looking for 15 PhD students with the following backgrounds: Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Instructional Psychology, Pedagogical Technology, Gaming, AR/VR. More information will be made available soon.  Graduating MSc students are invited to look out for updates concerning the 15 positions. (Leuven, 14/6/2018)

Abstract CHARMING

The chemical industry in Europe faces stiff competition as it fights to strengthen its position in the global market place. Europe’s greatest asset is its human capital, but the people working in such a technology-based environment, with the rise of the “smart factories” of Industry 4.0, need to be very well qualified. The situation of yesteryear, where a person could be trained to carry out a job for the whole of his/her career has long since gone; now the situation is one of developing skills and competencies, but then being able to adapt, re-learn and be able to cross sectors and disciplines in a world of work that is dynamic and subject to constant change. Continuous professional development, the stimulation of creative thinking and the motivation of youngsters for science & technology are high on the EU’s agenda. Recent developments in immersive learning technologies are providing exciting new tools for teaching and training programmes, yet they remain underutilised in science & technology education, and nowhere is this more true than in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering. CHARMING, the European Training Network for CHemicAl EngineeRing IMmersive LearnING, takes on this challenge by developing learning strategies, content and prototypes for the application of games and virtual/augmented reality for motivating, teaching and training children, students and employees in chemistry, chemical engineering and chemical operations. The inter-sectorial and interdisciplinary CHARMING ETN consists of leading universities and industry participants and trains 15 ESRs in the areas of innovative chemical engineering, instructional psychology & pedagogy and immersive technology. CHARMING’s success is based on integrating these three areas in order to provide Europe with its highly trained young experts who are ready to help motivating, training and integrating the next-generation human capital of the European chemical industry and beyond.

Recruitment event

All applications will proceed through the on-line recruitment portal on the CHARMING website, which will be made public early July. Candidates should apply electronically for one to maximum three positions and indicate their preference. Candidates provide all requested information including a detailed CV (Europass format obligatory). During the registration, applicants will need to prove that they are eligible, according to the ESR definition, mobility criteria, and English language proficiency. The CHARMING Recruitment Committee selects between 20 and maximum 30 candidates for the Recruitment Event which will take place in Leuven (November 2018, exact date still to be confirmed). The selected candidates provide a 20 minute presentation and are examined by the Recruitment Committee. The final decision on who to recruit is communicated the week after the Recruitment Event. The selected ESRs are to start their research as quickly as possible (target: 1 January 2019).

General coordinator for ETN CHARMING:

General contact person for ETN CHARMING: