I had the pleasure of taking part in the MiniModes Summer School, a student conference organized by the Optica-SPIE-EPS-IEEE Student Chapter at the University of Warsaw, where I shared my perspective on pursuing a career in academia.
This is a unique event that offers students a platform to share their first research results in a friendly and inspiring atmosphere. Participants simultaneously listen and learn from excellent speakers, including Michał Karpiński, Alessandra Carmichael-Martins, Grzegorz Soboń, Richard Zeltner, Piotr Wcisło, and panelists Axel Haunholter, Karolina Orłowska, and Jędrzej Mijas.
I’m also proud that this was the first conference experience for Adrian Walczyk and Klaudia Saluk from my lab, who shared the research they have been participating in over the last semester. They were joined by our conference veteran Jakub Wronski, who presented his master’s thesis work, done in collaboration with ICFO.
I’m already looking forward to future editions of this excellent conference, and I encourage anyone working in our field to keep an eye on it as well!
Chęciny, Poland, 30 August – 1 September 2025