The GIANT innovation campus offers many opportunities for local doctoral students to develop their network and cross-disciplinary skills. Because it can be difficult at first to find one’s way around the multitude of players in research and industry, and to meet and collaborate with colleagues from other institutions, the GIANT student network is there to help local doctoral students meet, exchange ideas and find their way around.
A network for and by doctoral students
Each year, the GIANT Student Network is entrusted to a new team of GIANT Junior Ambassadors (#GJAs), a group of doctoral students selected from the campus laboratories. Their mission is to act as a link between communities inside and outside GIANT, such as students, researchers, international visitors and professionals from industry and start-ups.
Get to know the current team on our Instagram account: @giant_grenoble
Being a Junior Ambassador is a fun, varied and flexible job. PhD students who want to help shape the GIANT campus community and develop their own leadership and organisational skills are encouraged to join the team!
How does recruitment work?
Applications are considered as they arrive!
For 2024-2025, we’re limiting the number of members to a maximum of ten!
What are the prerequisites for joining the #GJAs team?
The GIANT JUNIOR AMBASSADORS 2023-2024 TEAM
CREDIT @GIANT
Dates on which you must be available (JSIAM and PhD workshops preparatory meetings)
Preparatory meetings for the JSIAM on 20 March 2025
| Date | Purpose | Time | Place |
| Tuesday 5 November 2024 | Kick-off meeting of the JSIAM 2025 | 5.15pm to 7.15pm | Y.Spot Partner Building, Grenoble |
| Tuesday 26 November 2024 | Progress meetings | 5.30pm to 6.30pm | |
| Tuesday 17 December 2024 | |||
| Tuesday 28 January 2025 | |||
| Tuesday 18 February 2025 | |||
| Tuesday 18 March 2025 | Final briefing meeting before event | 5.00pm to 7.00pm |
Preparatory meetings for the PhD workshops
| Date | Purpose | Time | Place |
| Tuesday 22 October 2024 | Kick-off meeting | 5.30pm to 7.00pm | Y.Spot Partner Building, Grenoble |
| Dates to be decided with the coordinator and the organizing team | Workshop progress meeting workshop-specific progress meetings | 5.30pm to 6.30pm |
Here is the current GIANT Junior Ambassadors team!
Ananya Kedige Rao, hailing from India, finds herself in the second year of her PhD program at UGA. Her research is centered in the realm of marine plankton, with a particular emphasis on kleptoplasty, an intriguing phenomenon involving the pilfering of chloroplasts to endure the rigors of harsh marine environments. In the future, she harbors aspirations of delving into the application of engineering tools in the field of marine biology. Outside of her academic pursuits, she has a deep-seated love for globetrotting, immersing herself in new locales like a local, and capturing moments through the lens of her camera. She describes herself as observant, imaginative, and sociable.
#Observant #Imaginative #Sociable
Vanessa Escobar, , a 26-year-old Mexican with a background in Biotechnology Engineering, arrived in France in 2020 to pursue her Master’s degree, which has now evolved into a Ph.D. at the SyMMES laboratory in CEA, Grenoble. Her future goal is to blend her biotech research career with science communication to inspire young students. In her free time, she enjoys nature outings in the nearby Alps, reading mystery novels, dancing salsa, and playing the guitar.
#womaninscience #futuredr #bookworm
His name is Mohamed Chakroune. He is Franco-Moroccan. He did the majority of his studies in Strasbourg, but he moved around a lot in France before finally arriving in Grenoble. He arrived here a few months ago to pursue his thesis with the “Micro-Technologies for Biology and Healthcare” Division at CEA Leti. He does biomechanical modeling, and his research focuses on the digital signature of the cardiovascular system in the forearm for blood pressure measurement. He enjoys playing basketball and listening to music.
#BiologyHealth #BasketBall
Elijah Ugaddan, hailing from the Philippines, is a passionate Ph.D. student exploring the realms of Hydrogen Storage and Electrochemistry. Her vision for the future is to lead a team of researchers in the field of Energy Storage projects. Beyond the lab, she dreams of running her own beachfront café in the Philippines. Her interests span science, volleyball, and a love for food, making her a well-rounded individual. Ellie is dedicated to making scientific advancements both in her field and on the volleyball court, all while keeping an eye on the perfect wave by the beach.
#VolleyballAddict #JackOfAllTradesMasterOfFun #FoodieScientist
Mona Masoumzadeh, originally from Iran, with a marketing and business administration background, shifted from architecture to a management role at a prestigious architecture firm. After earning an MBA from the European University of Geneva, she excelled as a marketing manager at Ramona Shahdnoush Kish Co. from 2014 to 2022. In September 2022, she started her PhD at GEM to explore consumption psychology and its innovative applications. Her interests encompass data science, problem-solving, and people skills, while her leisure activities include exploring new places, visiting art exhibitions, and playing chess.
Mukhtar SANI, originally from Kano, Nigeria, received an American scholarship in 2005, leading to high school in Kano. He earned a first-class degree in electrical engineering from Kano University of Science and Technology in 2015. In 2017, sponsored by the Kano state government and the French embassy, he pursued a master’s degree in systems, controls, and information technologies, followed by a Ph.D. in automation and mobile robots at Université Grenoble Alpes. He is currently working on post-doctoral research at CEA Grenoble, specializing in fault diagnosis using machine learning approaches. His goals include professional success, a happy family, and creating a mentoring and scholarship platform.
#Hardworker #Friendly #Social
Stephane Tawil, a 3rd-year Ph.D. student at the Symmes Laboratory in CEA Grenoble, focuses on developing biosensors for cell secretion detection. Hailing from Athens, Greece, he pursued his bachelor’s studies in the physics department of Dijon, France, and later obtained a master’s degree in nanosciences in Grenoble. His passion lies in combining physics with health, bridging the gap between medicine and physics. In his free time, Stephane enjoys technology, exploring various cuisines, meeting people from diverse backgrounds, and engaging in outdoor activities like hiking and team sports. He also makes time for music, playing and singing with guitar covers of songs.
Gregory Ahungwa, a research engineer, has 8+ years of experience in hardware and software development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a master’s in Signal and Image Processing. He’s currently completing a CIFRE PhD program at the GIPSA-lab, focusing on Machine Learning for hydro-turbine health monitoring in collaboration with General Electric. His interests span Signal Processing, Data Engineering, Software Development, and DevOps. In his personal life, Gregory is married and enjoys sports, particularly football and badminton, while staying up-to-date on IT and related technologies.
#ResearchEngineer #TechEnthusiast #DataEngineer #PhDResearcher #MLEngineer
Phan Anh Vu (Vũ) holds a diverse educational background in Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, and Finance. He spent several years as a Software Engineer before transitioning his focus to Machine Learning. Currently, Phan Anh Vu’s primary research for his Ph.D. revolves around the convergence of probabilistic machine learning and chip design. His objective is to enhance uncertainty quantification algorithms using specialized and emerging hardware, both analog and digital. Outside of his academic pursuits, he has a wide range of hobbies, including Hiphop dance, tennis, judo, boxing, piano, and guitar.
Kenza Arab, an Algerian Information Systems Engineer, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems at Grenoble IAE-INP. Her research focuses on Human-AI Collaboration in organizational contexts, specifically exploring how knowledge is co-constructed by Human and AI agents. In addition to her doctoral studies, she serves as a part-time Information Systems teaching assistant at Grenoble IAE-INP and Grenoble Ecole de Management. Beyond her academic and professional commitments, Kenza enjoys bodybuilding, running, taking online courses on diverse topics, participating in improvisational theater, learning new languages, mentoring others, and engaging in student associations and initiatives.
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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. |
The GIANT Junior Ambassadors charter!
This charter brings together all your commitments as an ambassador as well as the benefits you will receive if you complete all your assignments.
This charter is signed by ALL the members of the programme during the teambuilding session!
Take a look at the charter of the #GJAs!
Recognition for your investment as an ambassador!
In return for your investment as a GIANT Junior Ambassador, you’ll enjoy a number of benefits!
Events for and by doctoral students!
GIANT Junior Ambassadors are responsible for organising key events for their peers.
The Junior Scientist & Industry Annual Meeting (JSIAM)
The networking event that allows young researchers to explore career opportunities in industry and start-ups and start-ups and start building their network.
The next JSIAM is scheduled for Thursday 20 March 2025 at Maison MINATEC.
The programme is currently being put together…more information will be available available soon.
In the meantime, take a look back at the 2024 event HERE.
PhD workshops
These PhD workshops are an opportunity for young researchers to meet other PhD students and post-docs to discuss subjects related to employment, careers, living well during their thesis…
These PhD afterworks are led by experts in the topic, to provide basic information and help participants put it into practice during the workshop.
The topics and dates are currently being worked on and will be updated here shortly, along with the registration link.