Photoniques 140 | Page 66

TRAINING PROGRAM ERASMUS

EXAMPLES OF INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYERS

Zeiss, Essilor, Valeo, ASML, Nanoscribe, Vanguard Automation, Q. Ant, K2 Photonics, Solnil Microsoft, Omron, Nissan, OptoFidelity, Pi Photonics, Varjo

Quandela, Xanadu, Gradiant, Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, Eni Infineon, Alice & Bob, Rotonium, InSpek, UV Medico

Stellantis, STMicroelectronics, ASML, Zeiss, VTT, The QA Company, Thales Alenia Space research and technology organisations, and a dense fabric of photonics SMEs and start-ups( Table 2). University – business cooperation runs through several activities that help students grasp the socio-economic environment of their field and improve their employability. Internships in both years are central, alongside short-term schools that survey the latest developments, such as the Quantum-Nest school( QUARMEN), the Europhotonics Spring School or the iPSRS workshop. Some curricula also show how companies, spin-offs and start-ups are created and run: Quandela teaches the machine-learning course in QUARMEN, Multiwave the innovation and patenting course in EUROPHOTONICS, and CERN the radiation-matter Monte Carlo tools at RADMEP +, while iPSRS invites startups for annual exchange days. Dedicated entrepreneurship training and sessions such as Carla 360 camps complete the offer. Industrial partners also propose company visits, real industry problems for tutored projects, and sit on the advisory boards of several consortia. 7. Challenges and Lessons Learned Administrative complexity, visa barriers and joint degree implementation remain shared challenges across EMJM programmes. Their impact is mitigated through strong institutional support, experienced administrative teams, peer support and the exchange of best practices. EMJM consortia act as incubators for harmonising institutional procedures and national regulations across Europe. Recruiting top students worldwide is

Table 2. Alumni destinations: number of graduates, typical job profiles in industry and examples of industrial employers.

both a challenge and a strength. EMJM consortia have strong expertise in selecting diverse international candidates and supporting varied academic backgrounds through targeted bridging courses. Photonics adds another layer of selectivity. With no clear undergraduate pathway, it demands strong foundations in physics and mathematics. Limited public awareness of the field and its career opportunities further narrows the pool of applicants. Yet this selectivity is an asset. It attracts highly motivated, high-achieving students and has significantly boosted the international visibility of photonics, particularly outside Europe. Our alumni further amplify this impact: as ambassadors for photonics careers, they promote the field worldwide through a uniquely international and tightly connected network, far stronger than that of most national programmes, due to the cohesive atmosphere of the cohorts. EMJM is international by design: one competitive admission, one integrated curriculum, guaranteed mobility, and a joint or multiple degree. Classical master ' s programmes and Erasmus + mobility offer these elements only partially. It is therefore no surprise that the European Union is now building the European Master’ s degree on the EMJM model. Yet this unique identity is not widely understood. EMJM is still confused with

Erasmus + mobility and seen mainly as a scholarship scheme for non-European students, despite the fact that today ' s programmes recruit talent of all nationalities on an equal footing. Strengthening communication is therefore essential to position EMJM as a flagship international programme for European and non-European students alike. These programmes have exceeded their original mission. They have attracted world-class talent to Europe, retained much of that talent, and reinforced Europe ' s position as a global education and innovation hub. The return on EU investment is evident, not only in human capital, but also in the strategic academic and industrial alliances that EMJM programmes have catalysed across Europe and internationally. In a period when technological sovereignty has become a European priority, training and keeping in Europe the engineers and researchers who master the whole photonic value chain, from materials to systems, is a strategic asset in itself. The sustainability of EMJM programmes depends on a shared model combining university funding, scholarships, highly competitive EU funding renewed every five years, and industry partnerships. The next challenge is to develop innovative international partnerships with industry to diversify funding while preserving the international ambition of EMJM programmes.

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